Order of Glaurung
by Spades
Summary: Sequel to 'Unspoken Words'. Aragorn is haunted by nightmares that lead him on a wild adventure. Legolas recieves a warning and chases after his friend to warn him for his life.
1. Default Chapter

_            He was running through the forest. It must have been night time for it had the feeling of night and it was dark. Something was clenched tightly in his fist as he leapt over a fallen log. He could hear the pounding feet of the people giving chase behind him. His breathe came out in pants as he crashed through the trees and undergrowth to erupt into a clearing. The tall grass whipped by him as he ran to the watch tower that stood against the bright moon. Reaching the heavy wooden door, he pulled at it frantically as he looked over his shoulder to the tree line. The shadows emerged from the trees to rush towards him as he pulled harder on the door. The old, rusted lock finally gave away and he stumbled into the lower level. Slamming the door closed, he ran up the stairs to about half way and knelt on the step. His nails clawed around the block of stone before it came loose in his hands. He shoved the piece of paper into the crevice and shoved the stone back into place. Glancing back to the door, he ran up the stairs and onto the highest turret. The sound of the door breaking echoed up the stairs as he spun to look at the dark stair well._

_            "Valar, grant me peace in death that was denied me in life. Allow he that is worthy to set those souls free that have been trapped. Allow him the grace of the savior at the Hill of the Eye," he murmured as he slowly backed towards the ledge._

_            He stepped onto the ledge and slowly opened his arms out to his sides. Just as his pursuers emerged from the shadows, he fell back to the still wind. He fell as he looked up at the stars for the last time._

_            "Valar, catch me."_

"NO!"

            He lashed out and knocked a vase to the ground hearing it shatter in the quiet room. A noise in the room next to his startled him as he jumped out of the bed. The shards of vase sliced into his bare feet as he stumbled to the far wall near the balcony. The doors leading to the other apartment swung open to reveal a dark haired elf.

            "Estel! What are you doing?" he cried as the human jumped and backed quickly onto the balcony.

            In his fear, he didn't realize how close he was to the railing as he backed into it. His body flipped over the railing with a startled cry. Elrohir sprinted to the balcony and dove over the side to grab Estel's ankle with one hand while his other grabbed onto the iron railing. The elf gasped as both of his arms were almost pulled out of their sockets and his body slammed into the railing and balcony.

            "Elladan!" he yelled, hoping his other brother in the next apartment heard him.

            Aragorn shook the cobwebs from his mind as the blood rushed to his head from the inverted position. Why was he hanging upside down? Looking around, he was shocked to realize that he was hanging upside down outside his balcony. Beyond shocked, he looked down his body to see Elrohir gripping one of his ankles.

            "Elrohir?" he asked softly in pure confusion.

            Dark hair spilled over the elf's face as he looked to his little brother. "Do not struggle Estel, or I will lose my grip."

            "Then please tell me how I got here," he said softly and looked around.

            Elrohir didn't have the time to respond as three elves appeared above him. Glorfindel and Elladan grabbed Elrohir's arm as Elrond leaned over and grabbed his son under his arms. Pulling Elrohir up a bit, Elrond released his hold on Elrohir and grabbed Aragorn's other ankle. Glorfindel handed Elrohir over to his twin and helped Elrond bring Aragorn over the railing. The human was trembling slightly at the close call as well as the dream that was slowly coming back to him.

            "Estel, what happened?" Elrond asked as he looked to the broken vase.

            "A nightmare ada," he muttered and started to walk into his room.

            Once putting weight on his sliced up feet, he cried out and grabbed for something to keep him upright. Elrond quickly wrapped an arm around his son's waist and supported his weight.

            "Glorfindel, please go and get some healing herbs and bandages from the healing wing," Elrond requested and helped Aragorn into the room.

            Elladan deposited Elrohir on the bed next to Aragorn and went around the room to light the night globes. The younger elf carefully rotated his shoulders and grimaced slightly. Estel stared at his bare feet as Elrond pulled up a chair and laid a towel over his lap before picking up one of the human's feet. Glorfindel pulled over a stool and placed all of the items Elrond may need on it. 

            "Will you be willing to tell us why you tried to leap off the balcony?" Glorfindel asked as Elrond pulled out pieces of vase from Estel's foot.

            "I di-*flinch* -did not try to leap. I *flinch* fell," he answered slowly, controlling his emotions.

            Valar, he didn't mean to fall off the balcony. He hadn't even known that he had been on the balcony at the time. It wasn't like he intended to do that. He flinched again when his father pulled out a rather large piece of vase. The remnants of the dream were still frighteningly clear; so clear, that he honestly thought that his fingers were raw from the stone he recalled. He felt the air rushing past him as he fell from the watch tower.

            "Estel, you looked terrified when I came into the room. Something had to have caused that," Elrohir said and repressed a bodily shudder.

            "It is of no concern to you, brother," Aragorn replied. He wanted time to sort out the dream before discussing it with the others.

            "I believe we shall discuss this later instead of now," Elrond said firmly as he smoothed a healing paste over Aragorn's foot.

            "Ada! He needs to speak of it!" Elladan cried in protest.

            "Not if he-"

            "Pardon me Elladan for not speaking to you immediately of my nightmare. It is slightly disconcerting to witness your own death in your dreams," Aragorn snapped hotly which shut Elladan up quickly.

            Everyone went silent as they stared at the human while he gently massaged his temples. Why did they always have to push him for answers when he didn't want to give them any? He honestly didn't even have an answer for himself. For once in his life, he was glad that Legolas was not here. The Mirkwood elf would push relentlessly until the human relented. Ever since Tharbad, Legolas had been almost overbearingly protective. He knew that if his brothers and Legolas combined forces then he would cave in.

            "Everyone leave us," Elrond ordered quietly as he looked over at his march warden and twin sons.

            When Elrond gave an order, very few resisted it and the ones that did were not familiar with him. The Lord of Rivendell was not one to be bluffed or doubted. The three elves departed and silently closed the door to leave Elrond and Aragorn alone in the bedroom. Elrond worked on Aragorn's other foot and wrapped it as Aragorn centered himself.

            "I really did not try to jump off the balcony," Aragorn said to break the silence.

            "I know you did not. Why would you have broken the vase, step on the shards, and then walk to the balcony to jump? There are no bloody foot prints leading directly to the balcony, I see the prints staggering to the wall and backing onto the balcony. That must have been one bad nightmare you experience. And not the first," Elrond said and gently lowered the human's foot to the ground.

            Aragorn sighed and picked slightly at the rumpled blankets before looking at his father. He should have known that he couldn't hide the nightmares from his father. The past two weeks had been marked by nearly nightly nightmares that banished any hopes of going back to sleep. Usually he would remain in his room till dawn or he would wander around the elvin safe haven. Most of the nightmares consisted of snatches and small images that didn't make much sense to the human but knew that the images terrified him. The nightmare he just witnessed was the first one that he saw all the way through and had made some sense.

            "How long have you known?" he asked quietly as Elrond gently touched his knee.

            "This is my house Estel. I know of everything that goes on behind these walls. If it seems like I do not, it is because I choose to ignore what your brothers do. But I do know that some early mornings you wander the house before the sun rises. You have slightly bags under your eyes and occasionally doze off in the most unusual places. For instance, the guard tower a few days ago," Elrond said with a faint smile as Estel dropped his gaze shamefully.

            Aragorn had walked up to the guard walkway to get some fresh air and look out across the valley. It had been a simple relaxing position as he leaned against the stone column. And then, the next thing he realized was the sun was setting and that he had been there for at least three hours. Several of the guards smothered their grins when he slowly walked off the walkway and avoided their gazes. He was mortified that he had actually fallen asleep.

            "Would you talk to me about your nightmares?" Elrond asked softly as Aragorn looked around his room.

            He pushed himself towards the center of the bed and wrapped his arms around his legs. His chin rested on his knees and he was silent for a few minutes before starting to speak. He described the nightmares as best he could from when he first started to have them two weeks ago. The nightmares were disjointed, random almost in the context. Sometimes, he was an active participant in the dream and other times he was unseen and could only watch. He saw battles and old castles, nothing he recognized from his travels. He saw beasts that he did not recognize or recall from any sightings or lectures from his childhood. In the nightmares he felt worried, tired, sick, and scared; however, common or uncommon the emotions were. The nightmares would jolt him awake and almost follow him to reality. Elrond listened quietly and allowed no reaction to dance across his face at his son's descriptions of the nightmares.

            The human's shoulders slumped in exhaustion when he finished his tale. His hands rubbed his eyes and shook his head to stay aware and awake. His foster-father eyed the weary Ranger carefully before standing up from his seat. Selecting a few choice herbs from his small collection, he sprinkled the herbs in the half-filled glass of water on the night stand. Swirling the glass for a minute or two, he handed the glass to the human with a stern look. Not one to argue with his father in his current state of exhaustion, Aragorn emptied the glass and set it back on the night stand before sliding under the covers.

            "Rest, my son. We will discuss your nightmares tomorrow when you are refreshed. No nightmares will plague you tonight," Elrond said softly as he brushed his thumb across the human's forehead.

            Aragorn smiled weakly as he submitted to the drugs in his system and his eyes fluttered shut. Elrond sat with his human son for a few more minutes to ensure he slept deeply before blowing out the night globes. He left one burning on the mantle to cast the room in a very soft light for Aragorn's sake. The ornate doors opened silently to let the elf-lord out of the room and into the common room.

            Three elves sat quietly in the plush chairs arranged around the room as Elrond closed the door behind him. His dark haired sons looked up at him worriedly for they heard small bits of Estel's nightmares. Glorfindel sat quietly by the window and turned away from the stars when his lord entered.

            "How are your shoulders Elrohir?" Elrond asked and placed a gently hand on the young elf's shoulder.

            "Fine father. How is Estel?"

            "He is sleeping now and should not waken till about noon tomorrow," Elrond said and clasped his hands behind his back.

            "What of his nightmares? He can not continued to have them if they disrupt his rest that badly," Elladan said quietly, remembering his twin's call for help.

            "No, he can not. He spoke of the Hill of the Eye and I would assume that he would soon travel there. Several of his nightmares could be paced there for what he told me in the descriptions."

            "Should we go with him?" Elrohir asked and looked to his brother.

            "Do remember that the Mirkwood delegation is coming tomorrow eve. It would be rude for all sons of Elrond to be gone," Glorfindel said and Elrond nodded.

            "Glorfindel is correct since you missed the delegation last time. Estel can take care of himself; if there are any problems he will handle it," Elrond said confidently. "It is still late at night and the sun is not due for several hours. Everyone back to bed."

            Elladan and Elrohir stood and bid their father and mentor goodnight before retiring to their separate rooms. Glorfindel followed Elrond out and down the quiet hallway. The Rivendell march warden walked silently by his lord's side and waited for him to speak. Even though Glorfindel was thought of as an elf-lord and was as respected as Elrond, he was happy to answer to Elrond and serve under him. They exchanged ideas and valued each other's thoughts and views on topics.

            "Glorfindel, I would like you to accompany Estel when he departs," Elrond said suddenly and the silver haired elf nodded.

            "I will, my lord. Do you expect some trouble for young Estel?"

            "It is not yet clear to me how but these dreams of Estel's are somehow disturbing. The dreams seem very intent on showing Estel something at the Hill of the Eye and it unrelenting. To be honest, it has me worried slightly," Elrond admitted and slowed to a stop.

            "I will be ready to leave whenever he is," Glorfindel restated.

            "He will probably want to leave once he wakes up. If Prince Legolas was arriving with the Mirkwood delegation then Estel would wait but he is not. You had best check that your packs are ready for your departure."

            Glorfindel bowed and left silently as Elrond looked out of one of the high arched windows. Different species of flowers bloomed under the window and almost glowed under the moonlight. The sounds of the river and falls were muted to a soft, dull roar for the night to provide a comforting back noise. Elrond looked up at the moon and started slightly at the vision. The moon floated high in the sky to command the other heavenly bodies but that was not what caught Elrond's attention. A quarter of the moon was tinted blood read against the pale three quarters of the pale moon.

            "A red sun at morn means blood has been spilt for the night. A red moon…blood will be spilt to stain the next day."

            Aragorn slung his pack over his shoulder and grabbed his bow. Once he had woken that morning, he hurried to pack and ready to leave and make for the Hill of the Eye. Grabbing a few pieces of lembas and shoving them into his pack, he hurried down the hall towards the dining room. Stepping into the dining room, he looked around the empty room before sighting the opened balcony doors. Nearing the balcony doors, he heard the soft sound of cutlery being handled signifying breakfast. The curtains billowed slightly as he approached and swept aside as he walked out onto the balcony. His family and Glorfindel sat eating breakfast on an elegant table, listening to the early morning sounds. 

            "Ada, I must bid you farewell for now. I am set to leave as soon as I collect a horse."

            Elrond glanced over at Glorfindel as the march warden rose to his feet and departed silently. Elladan and Elrohir were already bidding their foster brother farewell as Elrond rose. He hugged his son tightly before holding him at arm's length to gaze upon him.

            "You have the heart of a wanderer, my son. You will always have a home here; do not lose the way that your feet travel and your heart knows. Be careful."

            "I will."

            Aragorn turned and looked at Glorfindel as the elf stood by the balcony doors waiting for the human. Aragorn looked from Glorfindel to Elrond in question as the dark haired elf shrugged.

            "Humour your father Estel. This adventure of yours has me a little worried than normal."

            Aragorn paused before nodding to his father and Glorfindel. The two departed and the three dark haired elves sat back down to finish their breakfast.

            "I hope Glorfindel knows what he is in for."

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There is the first chapter for the new story. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. I am very excited about putting up this chapter but I am also very scared because I do not know how everyone is going to enjoy it *biting nails eagerly*. Eh gads, I do not think that I am going to get any sleep tonight after I post this *whimpers*. But please, please review for me and tell me how much you liked it and that will keep me happily writing…and keep Poppy the plot bunny happy. So please review for me. Luv you all!


	2. Chapter 2

            "What should I be expecting Estel?" Glorfindel asked, a few minutes into their ride.

            "What do you mean Glor?"

            "I have heard about your adventures and what you are capable of getting yourself into. I wish to be prepared."

            "I have no idea what you are talking about Glorfindel," Aragorn said as he urged his horse into a slow trot.

            "Do not think me a mindless orc, Estel. The sons of Elrond and prince of Mirkwood always find trouble or trouble finds them. It is inevitable as your father would say."

            "Well, as you can observe. There is only one son of Elrond and no Mirkwood prince around. I think you will be safe from harm Glorfindel," Aragorn said without looking back at the elf.

            "Just as long as you have enough weapons and healing herbs to last an elfish lifetime."

            The two travelers stopped as the shadowy figure stepped out from the thicket. The dark green dragon sat on his haunches and dipped his head in respect. The dragons had been offered refuge in Rivendell by Elrond after the events at Tharbad and they had readily accepted. Some still slept in different regions but Rivendell was a safe haven where dragons could avoid persecuting and be accepted. Kore enjoyed the forests of Rivendell so he lived and stayed in Rivendell.

            "Kore, it is a pleasure as always," Aragorn greeted with a smile.

            "Master Human, Master Elf; going on a journey?"

            "We make for Hill of the Eye."

            "I hope you are ready for whatever trouble will follow this young human," Kore said to Glorfindel as Aragorn rolled his eyes.

            "As ready as I ever can be," Glorfindel replied as Kore chuckled.

            "Can we go now? You have embarrassed me enough for today," Aragorn moaned.

            The two said farewell to Kore and rode away towards the forest's outskirts. The day was warm and the sky was clear with only a few clouds to mar the beautiful blue sky. The Misty Mountains loomed above them as the path led them towards the pass over the mountains. Glorfindel started to imagine what all could possibly happen to Estel and him on their journey. For a normally stoic elf, Glorfindel could be very creative, Aragorn thought to himself as the elf voiced his imaginations. He cast a worried look at the elf when he said something about a lake monster hunting him down to badly mutilate. Then somehow Legolas would appear to save him and somehow get more injured than anyone thought possible. Aragorn rolled his eyes at his friend and shook his head. It wasn't his fault if trouble always found his friends and him; it wasn't as if he wanted to be hurt or attacked countless times. He doubted if Legolas wanted that either. Both would get that 'I-can-not-believe-how-much-trouble-you-two-are-in' lecture and then the 'Just-wait-till-you-are-healed' look. Then they would stay around their respective homes for a week and drive the entire household staff crazy before finally being kicked out to bother some other family and cause havoc. Aragorn started to notice that some of the household staff would start to acquire a twitch that seemed to get worse whenever he neared. He saw his father have that same twitch occasionally when all of his sons came home injured after some unbelievable adventure. The Mirkwood healers had the same twitch every time he saw them which were when the prince and he needed healing.

            He glanced back at Glorfindel when he heard the elf curse none too quietly.

            "Is something wrong Glor?"

            "I forget something that I really should not have forgotten," he muttered and mumbled something to himself.

            "What did you forget?" Aragorn questioned and brushed aside a tree branch.

            "My good luck charm," Glorfindel muttered and bowed his head as Aragorn smiled.

            "A good luck charm? Are you telling me that the fearless Balrog slayer, brave warrior, Lord Glorfindel has a good luck charm?" the human asked shocked before starting to laugh uncontrollably atop his horse.

            He dropped his reins to his horse's neck and wrapped his arms around his waist as he laughed. Tears started to leak from his eyes as he continued to laugh and Glorfindel glared at him. Glorfindel urged his horse faster and rode past the laughing human to move in front. Pushing aside a tree branch, he slowly started to smile before glancing back to Aragorn. Continuing to ride forward, he held on tightly to the tree branch and stretched it back to its limit. With an evil smirk, he released his grip and heard the sound of the branch snapping back and heard the yelp from the human. His acute ears heard the distinct sound of him falling off the horse and the following curses when he hit the ground. As he rounded the corner he looked back to the human that had tree bits all over his front and glaring at the elf.

            "It is not polite to laugh at your elders Estel."

            Glorfindel started to laugh and rode along as he listened to Aragorn brush himself off and mount his horse again. Glorfindel may have been a proper elf lord but he had picked up several things from the twin sons of Elrond before Estel had even been born. He could pull pranks with the best of them when and if he tried. When the sons of Elrond were gone on scouting missions or visiting other towns it had been known for Elrond and Glorfindel to pull pranks on each other. Valar forbid if Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas and Estel ever found out what the should be respectable elf-lords did when they were not at home. They would be shocked at the kind of pranks the elf-lords could think of. Glorfindel started to think that the twins should start getting a taste of their own medicine; see how well they stand up to two elf lords combining forces against them. With an undignified, un-elf like snort, he turned to look at Aragorn as he rode up beside him.

            "That was most unkind."

            "You deserved it young one," Glorfindel replied and glanced over at the human.

            Small bits of twigs, leaves, and dirt clung to the human's disheveled hair. Glorfindel's good humor faded slightly upon seeing a scratch left by the tree branch. It was about two inches long and a corner bled slightly while the rest was a bright red cut.

            "You know this means war," Aragorn joked, not noticing the elf's expression.

            Glorfindel reached over and stopped Aragorn's horse while he stopped his own. Aragorn looked at him surprised for the sudden stop as Glorfindel gently touched the cut. The human flinched slightly before ruefully grinning.

            "So trees do fight back."

            "I apologize young one. I did not think the branch hit you that hard."

            "It is nothing Glor. I will tend to it when we camp tonight which should be soon. The sun is soon to start setting," Aragorn commented and glanced around the darkening forest.

            "Let us ride for a bit more until setting up camp. I wish to find a more open area to camp in."

            Aragorn agreed and they rode farther along the path as they looked for a good place to camp. When they reached a good place, Aragorn took care of the horses while Glorfindel started the fire and made a small meal. The bed rolls were laid out around the warm fire as the two weary travelers rested against their packs. Aragorn pulled out this pipe once they ate the small dinner and lighted the pipe weed. Taking a deep breath and holding it for a few seconds, he slowly breathed out the smoke into the night air. He smiled at the elf as Glorfindel scooted away from the smoke. The human knew that the pipe weed smoke was offensive to the sensitive noses of elves so he only smoked when he traveled. Elrond forbid him to smoke in his house and Aragorn had to comply with his request, well it was more like a demand. He was just more inclining to think of it as a request.

            "What was this I heard of you being impaled by a sword?" Glorfindel asked suddenly as he cleaned his twin blades.

            "You have been talking to my father," Aragorn commented.

            "Talking, yes; but not about that. I have only heard very short accounts of it but never the full story. Wish to tell a camp side story?"

            Aragorn chuckled before taking his pipe and dumping out the ashes. Stuffing it into his pack, he looked to the fire before speaking.

            "It really started off harmlessly enough," he started but stopped when Glorfindel snorted. "Do you mind?"

            "Sorry, there was something in the air."

            "I am sure."

            Aragorn blinked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he looked around. Something had awakened him from a sound sleep and he had a feeling it wasn't something normal. Slowly sitting up, he looked around and found Glorfindel sitting on a low tree branch keeping watch. Getting to his feet slowly and walking over to the elf, he looked around for whatever woke him before looking back to Glorfindel.

            "Anything amiss Glor?" he asked and stretched his back.

            Instead of answering, Glorfindel continued to look around as if he hadn't heard the human. Aragorn looked closer at Glorfindel to confirm that the elf was actually awake before trying again.

            "Glorfindel? Am I so annoying that you have to ignore me?" he joked and moved to push against the elf's knee.

            Instead of touching solid flesh, his hand went right through the flesh and tree as his body weight fell. His breathe left in a whoosh when he hit the ground almost as dead weight. Shaking his head to clear the shock, he pushed himself up quickly to look at Glorfindel. The elf still sat there like nothing happened! Standing up quickly, he looked at his hand and at the elf again. Slowly this time, he reached out and watched amazed as his hand passed straight through the elf's leg.

            "This is very strange," he murmured and looked towards the camp.

            He jerked back in shock when he looked at his bed roll. He was there asleep yet he was standing over here awake.

            "Extremely strange."

            "Aragorn."

            He spun and looked around to see who spoke his name. The dark forest did not reveal the speaker as he started to move where he heard the voice. Reaching to his lower back, he patted and felt for the small dagger he usually hid there. Dismayed that he didn't have any kind of weapon, he hoped he would be able to defend himself if needed.

            "Follow the sound of my voice."

            Aragorn glanced back towards the camp where Glorfindel and his body remained. Looking forward again, he walked further into the forest. The ground was covered by fog that shimmered under the moon light as he slowly moved through it.

            "I am glad you are coming."

            Aragorn looked around him to pinpoint the voice. It seemed to come from all around him as he stopped in a small glade.

            "Where are you?" he called out loudly.

            "I am trapped and you must release us."

            "Show yourself!"

            "I can not. He might find me."

            "Who?"

            Aragorn was starting to get angry at the lack of answers. He couldn't tell if the voice was male or female. At some times it sounded like a female and other times it sounded like a male's voice.

            "Please help us Aragorn. You are the only one who can."

            "I need more information."

            Just as he said it the air suddenly changed and became more volatile. It almost seemed electric as he tensed slightly in readiness.

            "He is coming."

            Before he could ask who, an unseen force slammed into him and sent him flying. For a few seconds he was in mid-air before slamming into the ground. Something kicked him in the gut and sent him rolling. Painful claws tore down his back, slicing through his tunic to draw blood. He didn't even have the time to speak as another forceful kick sent him flying into a massive tree. He gasped as his back and head slammed into the thick trunk. His muddled brain noticed that he could now touch trees unlike before. Falling, he caught a branch across his chest before falling to the hard ground. Darkness claimed him just as he hit the ground.

            Glorfindel jumped down from the tree and walked over to the sleeping human to wake him. The sun rose just an hour before and it was time to start off again. To his amazement, the human hadn't moved the entire night or woken for a moment.

            "Estel, time to awaken," he said and gently poked the human with his bowl.

            He groaned softly as Glorfindel stirred up the fire to start a small breakfast. The elf glanced over at the human just as he pushed up to his hands and knees. Aragorn's blanket fell aside and Glorfindel gasped in shock. The back of his tunic was stained with blood and blood trickled from the human's nose.

            "Estel!" he gasped and hurried over to kneel next to him.

            Aragorn wrapped an arm around his ribs and groaned painfully as Glorfindel helped him up. He didn't know if what happened the night before was a dream, nightmare, or out of body experience. The pain was telling him it was none of the above.

            "Where did you attain these?" he asked and carefully helped Estel out of the bloody tunic.

            "Last night," he ground out painfully as Glorfindel gently dabbed at the blood with a wet clothe.

            "You did not move last night, Estel. I kept watch and nothing came into camp that could have done this."

            "I know."

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I am so sorry about taking so long to get this chapter out. I took it home to work on it during Thanksgiving but I found that I can not write well when I have someone sitting close to me. I feel like they are reading over my shoulder, judging me and I can not stand it. So, the majority of this was written when I get back to college and I started writing at about seven I would say and it is now…one thirty in the morning. I told you that I write better at night and here is the proof. So I am going to hurry and put up the responses to the reviews and then I am going to bed. And thank you all so much that reviewed the first chapter. I was just so giddy when I read all the reviews! And Poppy the plot bunny thanks all of you too!

Oh, I also just got the extended version of TTT and all I have to say is that I liked it much better than the original movie. I really did; much more funny moments. I loved the part between Aragorn and Eowyn (sp?) when she learned how old he was and I just have to say that damn, if all guys looked that good at 87! And then the part between Legolas and Gimli with their totals; I was just laughing my ass off. And then the part with Merry and Pippin! Eh gads, it was just beautiful.

**_Dha-Gal- _***cheekily grinning* Yes, I just could not help myself putting in ranger pain in the first chapter. It was just calling to me to do it and I had to listen to it and answer. Every time I see skittles at a store I think of you and my story; just so you know. Poppy's inbox is filled with pancakes so he is stored up on pancakes. And in answer to your question: you are not intended to know who it was that fell of the balcony. I wrote it like that. Heehee, I am evil I know this and I enjoy it.

**_Frodo16424- _**Thank you so much! I tried very hard to catch the reader's attention because I know how quickly my attention can drift if I am not immediately caught up in the chapter. I do have a good plot idea *pats Poppy's head* thank to my little Poppy. Now let us see if I can actually get it written.

**_Snow-Glory- _**Well…I will not answer if that will happen but our Mirkwood elf will come into the story next chapter…hopefully…if I write it correctly. It is in my head, I just need to get it down on paper.

**_Ringmarciel- _**Thank you so much! *giddily dancing around* I hope it is going to be a good story too.

**_Grumpy- _**Well thank you so much! I am going to have so much fun with Glorfindel traveling with Estel. Heehee, *Glorfindel starts to look worried* everyone say a prayer for a poor Balrog slayer.

**_NaughtyNat- _***bowing* Thank you, thank you. Legolas will hopefully arrive in the next chapter if I write it just correctly and do not forget about the scene; which is sometimes a bad habit of mine.

**_Elvendancer- _**Did you read the author's note up there *points upwards*, I am posting this at…well now it is one forty-five in the bloody morning. I am such a night owl writer it is so not even funny. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you did the first.

**_Astievia- _**Very nice quote. Here is another one that I thought was really good: Be not far from me, for trouble is near; there is none to help. And if anyone can tell me where that is from then they get a huge huggle from me and Poppy and a cookie.

**_Wolfete- _**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I kept your review in mind and I tried to put in more content. Please tell me if you want more and I will try my hardest to put it in there. Thank you so much for the compliment though.

**_Star-Stallion- _**YEAH! She loves it, she really loves it! Heehee, oh I need my sleep. Nightmares are bad, very bad.

**_Camille- _**I always have to remember to get the people that went directly to my inbox with reviews. I love you people just as my normal reviewers *huggle*. Thank you, thank you so much for the compliment. I am going to have so much fun with Aragorn and Glorfindel, Heehee. Eh gads, I can not wait till I actually get it written.

**_Lauren- _**It is my lurker! Heehee, sorry I just had to throw that in there. Legolas will be coming up very soon; the next chapter hopefully if I get it written the way that I want it. Rock climbing is the best but that dream would seriously make me second think going up the wall. Eh gads, I would be paranoid like crap.


	3. Chapter 3

            "What do you mean 'I know'? You are not making any sense," Glorfindel said and gently rubbed on a healing cream.

            "It was last night. You were sitting on that tree over there when I got up and followed the voice into the woods. The voice told me that I had to save them. Whoever it was said that I had to help them, and they knew my name. I could not get anything else because 'he' came."

            "Who?"

            "The one who did this," Aragorn said and waved towards his injuries.

            He spat blood on the ground and wiped away the bright red liquid from his nose as Glorfindel bandaged his back wounds. Glancing down at his chest, he grimaced at the darkening bruises and gently probed them to get the extent of seriousness.

            "Why did you not get me to help you?" Glorfindel questioned and picked up another jar with a cream in it.

            He gently spread it over the bruises to cool the aching he knew the human felt. His mind was running over everything that occurred the night before and analyzed it, no matter how insignificant it seemed. After going over it three times, he still found nothing odd about the night.

            "I did Glor! My hand went right through you and the tree when I tried to touch you, and you ignored me when I spoke to you. I was like a ghost or a wandering spirit," Aragorn said and tensed when Glorfindel felt his tender ribs.

            "Well, whatever happened last night, it did a good job on you. Your back is in shreds, you have pile of bruises and one fractured rib while about four are bruised. All on the first evening; must be some sort of record for you," Glorfindel said dryly and knelt before the human.

            He held the human's head with one hand and instructed Aragorn to follow a finger from his other hand without moving his head. Glorfindel may have been well-known as a warrior, but being around a Master Healer like Elrond, one was prone to learn healing techniques and talents. Glorfindel was a bit more talented at healing than any other warrior or elf but not as well trained as Estel.

            "It is not as if I purposely go out and ask to be injured. Do I have a sign hanging on me saying: 'Please injure me'? Because if I do then it is invisible to my eyes," Aragorn snapped and blindly reached for his pack.

            "My, my; I never knew you could become this sarcastic. What would your father say?" Glorfindel joked and helped him pull on a new tunic.

            "He would probably look for the same sign I speak of," Aragorn mumbled and slowly stood.

            "Let us be on our way if you are well enough to ride."

            Aragorn nodded and started to pack up his bed roll. Slowing his movements slightly, he looked towards the forest and eyed the slight shadows amid the trees. It felt almost as if the trees were watching him; if not the trees then something had him in their gazes.

            Legolas carefully guided his mount down the steep trail while he leaned back to help his horse balance. The packs on both sides of his horse carried parchments that he was bring to his father. Thranduil had sent of some documents to Lórien by care of his son and now Legolas was returning with the desired information. He would have remained in Lórien for a bit longer, but he started to suddenly worry for Strider, his close human friend. It was a nagging feeling that wouldn't cease to worry him and the Lady of the Golden Wood only helped to increase that worry. He had gone to see her and hopefully get council of his worries but no, she had to say that Aragorn would need his help. She was then questioning why he wanted to leave so early and not stay longer. Sometimes Legolas just had to wonder and worry about those Noldor elves. Soon after leaving, he found that the most direct route to Rivendell was impassable; so now he was taking route b. A route he wasn't very happy about taking, especially not being a single elf and not one from Mirkwood and most definitely not as the son of Thranduil. The answer was a most obvious one when one thought about it. Dwarves were known to travel these areas, in packs. He did not want to tangle with dwarves.

            Reaching the bottom of the path and slipping into the dense forest, he reached forward and scratched behind his horse's ears. The horse pranced slightly in delight before they moved forward between the trees. His bow was loosely grasped in his hand and rested against his knee and thigh as he scanned the surrounding forest for any threats. The sun filtered through the tree tops as he rode through the forest and hummed a song quietly to himself. He should have known that his travels wouldn't be uneventful.

            His horse and he caught the scent at just about the same time causing his horse to stop and toss his head with a snort. Legolas soothed the horse and easily slipped off to land silently on the forest ground. Commanding his horse to stay, he slipped an arrow from his quiver and notched it but didn't draw. Sniffing the air, he slowly started to follow the stench and followed it for a while till it almost became overpowering. A while later he found the source and lowered his bow slightly in confusion. A chunk of rotting hunk of meat hung at the opposite edge of the small clearing where he stood as flies and gnats buzzed around the rotting meat. Turning his gaze to the edges of the clearing, he looked for anyone waiting in hiding before stepping into the clearing. He walked cautiously closer to the hanging meat while keeping his senses focused around the clearing.

            "Some forgotten provision from travelers no doubt," he muttered before turning away.

            His brain registered the click a second too late and by then it was all over. A snare caught his ankle and tightened before jerking him off his feet. A net suddenly caught him up and bundled him up tightly as his foot remained tied above him. The net held most of his weight but the position his leg and foot were in kept him pretty much immobile.

            "Valar, why me?" he muttered before starting to look for his weapons to cut himself loose.

            He groaned to himself when he found them. Everything was on the floor under him. The bow had fallen from his hand when he had been jerked off his feet while his arrows and twin blades had been knocked from his quiver.

            "You must be kidding me," he muttered to the silence and vowed to never tell anyone of this.

            Everyone he knew would possibly die of laughter. Grumbling to himself, he started to try and get himself out of this latest predicament.

            Several hours later he was still in the net and noose but now he was even more tangled than before. The sun was setting and he starting to get dehydrated. The last water he had taken was from the night before in Lórien and he had been hanging in the sun for most of his hanging time. His leg was cramping up and the stench of the rotting meat was starting to severely bother him. His movements suddenly stopped when he caught sounds of a conversation nearing.

            "I wonder if the trap caught anything."

            "It is a very ingenious set up that she created."

            "I am standing directly beside you Drumin; please do not speak as if I am not here."

            "I apologize my lady. It is very rare that a woman comes trapping with us."

            "Check the traps Master Dwarf and we shall see how well my trap did."

            Legolas wanted to slam his head against a wall or tree or something hard that might have a chance to knock him out. This could not be happening to him. He was about to be found hanging in a net by a group of dwarves; his level of pride was about to be knocked down a few levels. He listened to the heavy footfalls as they neared his location until the footfalls stopped directly behind and under him. Something caught the net and slowly turned him around as he looked down at the dwarf with a glare. The dwarf's hair and beard were a solid black as he lowered his axe to his side in shock. He definitely did not expect to see an elf caught up in the net. An elf that looked very angry.

            "We snared an elf?"

            "Let me down, dwarf," Legolas growled and tried to assume a more dignified position.

            Drumin cocked a bushy eyebrow at the elf's demand. He thought that the elf was in no position to be making demands.

            "Yomin…would you and the others please come up here," he called and looked over his shoulder to the tree line.

            "Oh Valar, is it one of the Eldars."

            Legolas looked up at the figures that emerged from the shadowy tree line. Three dwarves came out with axes by their sides as they glanced at him and then to the one tall figure behind them. She was a young woman that dressed very much like Strider did. A pair of soft suede boots, dark brown leggings, a dark red tunic, and a black leather jerkin tied with a leather belt. Her hair was extremely short for a female, almost bordering on spiky. A bow was held in her hand and he could see the fletching of arrows over her shoulder. The handles of two daggers peeked out from the quiver along with the arrows and a dagger hung at her waist where three rabbits also hung

            "Are you Legolas of Mirkwood?" the short haired woman asked suddenly and Legolas recognized something about her.

            "I am and who are you?"

            "Oh Valar, I am so sorry," she yelped and started talking to the dwarves in dwarvish.

            The dwarves apparently followed her orders and started to get the elf down from the net. Legolas looked confused as the dwarves cut the rope and carefully lowered the bundle. He was very surprised that the woman could speak dwarvish and apparently speak it well as the net was removed from him. She started to unknot the noose around his ankle as one of the dwarves handed him a flask of water.

            "I am so sorry Legolas. I hope you have not been hanging here for a long time," she said as she worked on the knot.

            "If your definition of 'a long time' is several hours then yes. Who are you?"

            "Forgive me Master Elf. You must not recognize or remember me. I am Lina from Tharbad."

            "Lina? Little Lina?"

            She nodded and Legolas was momentarily shocked into silence. Of course he remembered Lina; well he remembered the young, little Lina, not a grown woman. Thinking for a moment, he suddenly realized how long it had been since he had seen Lina. About…seventeen, no eighteen years. He leaned back slightly in shock at the young woman and finally saw the resemblances.

            "These are my good friends Drumin, Yomin, Clydus, Mutac. I know they are dwarves and they are very good friends of mine so get over it. They will be respectful to you if you are respectful to them."

            Lina loosened the noose finally and slipped it off his foot. Standing up, she offered a hand to him and helped him to his feet.

            "Evening is coming upon us soon. Would you like to camp with us tonight Master Elf?" Clydus asked and handed the bow to the elf.

            Legolas was so confused by this point that he didn't even realize it. His mind and thoughts were being pulled in every direction and he struggled to organize all of them. The dwarves did not look overly hostile towards him but they did not look overly friendly either. Realizing that everyone was waiting on his for an answer he called over his horse and agreed to camp with them. A few of the dwarves actually looked pleased that he was coming along which was a shock to him. He followed the small group and split his attention between the dwarves and the one woman.

            The dwarves talked of their kin that resided in Moria. Legolas mentally shuddered at the thought of living in a mountain like the dwarves did. He loathed close, dark areas and with very good reason too. Stone was hard, unyielding, and cold; no song of life could run through the stone. The coldness would seep to his bones and chill him to the core and then if it went further he would experience what Aragorn named an anxiety attack. He scoffed at the name but knew it was some kind of attack upon him.

            He focused on the back of Lina and quickly appraised the young woman. Eighteen years had changed her much as it did to all the members of the mortal race. Her back was straight and proud with her head held high with pride. She was not inexperienced in the wilds, he could tell by her light footfalls and gait as she walked beside one of the dwarves and talked with him in dwarvish. He wondered if she still remembered Elladan and Elrohir from their brief time together in Tharbad the many years before. He wished that Elladan could actually be here to see her again. The son of Elrond would be shocked at the dramatic change in the young woman. She was definitely no longer a little girl but a grown woman that could obviously take care of herself.

            The dwarves led him out of the trees and started up a hill where more dwarf voices were heard. The mouth of a cave came into view where several small fires could be seen and loud laughter trickled out. Nearing the cave, Legolas slowed until he came to a complete stop and stared. He didn't think he could go in there, not so soon after Tharbad. Eighteen years was soon for an elf, especially for an elf with a long memory span.

            Lina turned to look back at Legolas and saw the expression on his face. She understood the fear the elf had about entering small places. The fear sometimes struck her in the worst of times and most inconvenient of places. Speaking a few words to the dwarves, she turned and walked back down the slight incline to Legolas and stood beside him.

            "Why must they always reside in a cave?" he muttered as his horse gently nosed his arm.

            "Most of all the fires are towards the front of the cave. They keep the food and pipe weed stored in the very back to keep it dry. The dwarves sleep mostly towards the opening, near the fires. Mutac is actually terrified of dark, cramped places and he is a dwarf. He can only handle it for a few hours until he must get into the open. He and I joke that he has a bit of elvish blood in him. The others could not understand why I was so reluctant to go deep into the cave," she rambled on to get the elf's mind off the cave.

            Legolas recognized what she was trying to do and focused all his attention to what she was saying. She continued to ramble about random things as she slowly started to walk towards the large cave. She knew that he would remain close to the opening but she may be able to make him comfortable enough to venture a bit deeper. She pointed out where her own horse was and helped Legolas pull off the packs on his horse before his horse trotted off. Carrying the packs into the cave, they set them against the wall to be out of the way. Lina handed the dead rabbits to one of the female dwarves that were cooking dinner. She accepted two mugs of liquid from one of the dwarves and handed one to Legolas before sipping hers. Legolas sniffed the liquid to decipher what it was as Lina smiled.

            "It is wine. Fear not Master Elf, it is not the ale that dwarves are so fond of. Of course if you would like some I am sure the dwarves will grant you a mug of it if you request it," she suggested with a grin.

            "No, the wine is quite fine enough. The ale is to powerful for my senses," he said, partially guessing even though he had never tasted dwarvish ale.

            The closest thing he had ever tasted was human ale from the taverns and inns he visited with Aragorn on their travels. The brackish, bitter taste did not sit well with his delicate tastes so only a few sips would normally be his tolerance level. He sat on one of the well worn smooth logs situated around a fire and sipped the warm wine as Lina sat next to him.

            "Where did you learn to speak dwarvish?" he asked the woman as she set aside her bow.

            "A few years ago a bad snow storm brought a group of traveling dwarves into my father's tavern. They stayed for a few days until the snow let up and during that time I learned some basic words. Every time I encountered more dwarves, I learned more until I had a pretty good grasp of the language. When meeting new people it is always a good idea to know a bit of their language," she replied and took a sip of wine before setting down her mug.

            "How is your father?"

            "He is good. He still works around the tavern but my brother pretty much runs it with his wife. They are expecting a baby soon."

            "That is marvelous. It is always such a blessing for a new child to be born into the world," Legolas commented and looked down at his mug. "What of your friend? Sali was her name."

            Lina looked down at her hands and blinked rapidly to rid her eyes of her tears. She had thought that she had gotten over this.

            "Excuse me please."

            She stood quickly and grabbed her bow to walk out of the cave quickly. The dwarves looked up from their conversations at the abrupt departure. Legolas stared after her in shock before quickly putting down his mug and hurrying after her. He knew she could probably protect herself but still worried about what kind of evil creatures lurked in the forests. Stopping outside the cave, he scanned the ground for any hint of which direction she may have went. His tracking skills weren't the best but sometimes he got lucky. He didn't this time but his ears caught a sound very familiar to him. Walking down the hill and past the horses, he moved among the trees until he found Lina. She had her back to him while she shot arrows into a dead tree.

            "What ever did that poor tree do to you?" he asked as she released another arrow.

            "Give me a moment and I am sure I could think of something."

            "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked and leaned against another tree as he crossed his arms across his chest.

            "I should be over it by now. Eight years is long enough," she said and walked to the tree to pull out the arrows.

            "Eight years since what?"

            "Sali's death. She was taken during an orc attack. They raped, tortured, and killed her before we could save her," she said emotionlessly and walked back to her previous position and continued to fire arrows.

            Legolas glanced down and murmured a few words of respect. He understood her pain all to well. He had seen what effect it could have on a person. Elladan and Elrohir had almost been destroyed when the same thing happened to their mother. Legolas had worried that the twins would never recover and regain the sparkle that once resided in them. The sparkle eventually came back but it was dimmed slightly.

            "I am sorry about Sali but you can not change what occurred."

            "I know, but it hurts. After eight years and it still hurts."

            "And it will continue to hurt. The pain will never go away; just fade and weaken but it will always be there."

            "I assume as an immortal elf you know this."

            "I do. Some of my kin have fallen in battles and others have died from heart break and I have grieved for them.

            "Why must people die?"

            Lina pulled out the arrows and slipped the projectiles into her quiver.

            "I wish that I had a answer for you Lina but even elves do no know the answer to that."

            She laughed and stepped forward just a moment before something whizzed by her head. Spinning, her eyes locked onto the long shaft of a spear as it quivered in the tree. She heard the distinct sound of Legolas' bow as she swung hers around and notched an arrow. A goblin ran into her arrow just as she released and the arrow sliced through the goblin and into the one behind him.

            Legolas pulled out his twin blades and twirled them over his shoulders before cutting down a goblin. His hair swirled around him as he spun and gutted a goblin coming up behind him. Twirling, he lashed out with a foot and felt the skull crush under his foot. Lunging towards a goblin, his vision suddenly bleached white and Aragorn's face loomed in front of him. His feet back pedaled as quickly as he could and tried to use his hearing to avoid goblins.

            "Legolas! Down!"

            He dropped to the ground just after Lina said to and felt the air disturbance over him from a blade.

            "Roll!"

            Tucking in his arms against his chest, he rolled and gasped a something heavy fell onto his back. He heard Lina scream just before something slammed painfully into his head and unconsciousness swallowed him.

/////////////////

I feel it necessary to apologize to my readers for the time it took me to update. It did take me a bit longer than normal to get this chapter up for you readers out there and I am sorry. I have had some bad few days lately and everything just was not working out the way that I wanted it to and I was like buckling under the weight of exams coming up.

NOTICE: I am putting out an ad for a beta reader! I have been a member of Fanfiction.net since July 11, 2002 and I have never had a beta reader. And truthfully told, after writing the story I really do not want to proofread the chapter for errors. I am lazy, I know this. So anyone interested in betaing for me please email me or put it in a review.

**_Roz_****_- _I have no idea what movie you are talking about. I have never seen any of the Freddy Kruger movies. I hope you like this story as much as the other one.**

**_Dha_****_-Gal- _I have been munching on skittles while I have worked on this story. The bag is still sitting on my desk next to me. I ate the wild berry kind. Poppy is still primping himself whenever he gets near a mirror. *shakes head at rabbit* Now my plot bunny has a big ego.**

**_Star-Stallion- _**I watch the Simpsons but I do not know that episode or at least I do not remember it. And the elfie is here but he probably wishes that he was not. Heehee. I am so bad.

**_Grumpy- _**Yes, the dragons are here! I just love my dragons. My parents and I were watching the extended version of TTT and my father saw the things the Nazgul guys fly on and he asked if those were dragons. I could not believe it but I actually became offended. *shakes head* I can not believe that I became offended. And what it was that attacked Estel is part of the mystery.

**_Elvendancer_****_- _*chuckles* Yes, I do sleep. Honestly I do. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays my earliest class is at ten o'clock and on Tuesdays and Thursdays my earliest class is at twelve fifteen so I pretty much can stay up kind of late and still make my classes. Well I usually get up at light eight so I get…at least five hours of sleep. And look it is only a few minutes after eleven and I am about to update! GO ME!**

**_Astievia_****_- _*stares blankly for a moment* Well that really was not where I got it from. I read it in Jane Eyre and now that I look back at the page I do realize that it did come from the Bible. But you got it! *gives cookie and huggle* And I love that quote, so much that I intend to have it in the story later, much later actually. It would fit in nicely to my story.**

**_Ringmarciel_****_- _YEAH! Aragorn angst! Just have to love it. Heehee.**

**_Balrog_****_ Lover- _*holds up her own sword and helmut* BRING 'EM ON! Heehee. Thank you so much for the compliment and I hope you liked this chapter as much as the others.**

**_Little Iris- _***blushes* Well thank you very much but I really do not need that kind of compliment. I am an average writer. I hope Glorfindel likes the character that I gave him.

**_Lauren- _**Yes, you are my official lurker. I have beaten Mr. Fear down to a little pulp. I am the same person that has been stabbed in the throat by a fellow fencer and ride around a thousand pound animal and take them over jumps and the same one that wants to skydive, bungee jump, and fly. This one time I was rock climbing with a bunch of my friends and the friend that was belaying me is like one hundred pounds when soaking wet. Yeah, and she did not tie in and when she is lowering me down I look beside me and she is hanging right next to me. Looking back at it, it is very funny. 


	4. Chapter 4

            "How is your back Estel?" Glorfindel asked and glanced over his shoulder to the human.

            "As well as can be Glor, now leave it be. It is well on its way to healing," Aragorn grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

            The two had been riding hard for the past four days to reach the Hill of the Eye quickly. After the first night's incident they had wanted to quicken the pace to solve the reasons behind Aragorn's nightmares and his attack. After that night, Aragorn insisted on taking the nightly watches despite Glorfindel's adamant protests. The normally calm elf had finally lost patience after the third day. Aragorn hadn't slept at all except for the dozes he had on his horse that lasted about ten minutes each. The latest doze almost caused Aragorn to topple off his horse into a prickle bush. So, that night, when Glorfindel fixed a small dinner he "accidentally" mixed up the flavor herbs with some sleeping herbs when he fixed Aragorn's plate. He would never have told Aragorn, but he actually enjoyed drugging the human. He was smart; he stuck with the accident excuse when the human awoke the next day. Aragorn had been more than furious when he realized what Glorfindel had done to his dinner plate but the elf cared not for the human's anger. All that mattered was that Aragorn got his rest and the drugs had been powerful enough to ensure that his sleep was dreamless. Glorfindel knew that Aragorn would probably retaliate one way or another but he would gladly accept it if Aragorn rested.

            "You should not have drugged me," Aragorn muttered as his horse splashed through a small creek.

            "Hush human or I will be forced to do it again and I will take great pleasure in it again. You needed your rest," Glorfindel replied without looking back.

            "You would not dare."

            Glorfindel turned slightly and looked at the human with a raised eyebrow. It was a look that Elrond often used with his sons and Glorfindel had seen first hand the effectiveness. The years he had spent with Elrond allowed the 'look' to migrate to Glorfindel and the march warden used it only on special occasions. This was one of those occasions.

            "Are you so sure about that Estel?"

            Aragorn eyed the elf warily, not liking the look he was subjected to.

            "You are scaring me, Glor."

            "That was my intention," Glorfindel commented and turned in his seat to look forward.

            Aragorn's eyes widened slightly before shaking his head. Sometimes he couldn't understand elves; sometimes he didn't even try, finding it too difficult at times. Even after growing up with the elves he couldn't follow elves when they got in one of their defining moods. Valar, sometimes he could barely understand Legolas at times. The older elves could sometimes be far worse at times.

            "The Hill of the Eye is just over this hill," Glorfindel said and urged his horse faster.

            "Marvelous."

            Glorfindel smothered his smile and laughter. He had a feeling that Aragorn would not appreciate his humor on the subject. He greatly enjoyed traveling the youngest son of Elrond just as he did with Elladan and Elrohir. The sons of Elrond were refreshing to be around and interact with. Glorfindel almost felt as if he was also their father or grandfather. Whenever one of the sons of Elrond came home needing healing, Glorfindel worried just like a father but had to repress the worry while he helped Elrond. He liked to think that if he ever had children they would be a mixture of the sons of Elrond and the prince of Mirkwood. They would probably drive him insane, but he would love them and be proud.

            "There it is," Glorfindel said as the stone columns emerged from the trees.

            Aragorn stopped his horse and looked upon the structure that had been haunting him for weeks. Vines grew around the broken stones and choked the stairs and archways. The area was aged but still retained the power that it was built for. The small pine trees stood silently by as he looked around. His eyes slowly fluttered shut as a vision slowly washed over him and he was suddenly transported back to one of his nightmares. He felt the rough door against his hands and the fear that coursed through him. He could see the stone steps and the large stone that hid its secret. Jut as his hands reached for the stone, he was pulled abruptly from his vision and found Glorfindel looking at him worriedly.

            "Are you alright Estel?" he asked concerned.

            He had turned to ask the human a question and saw a dazed look descend over his face. His eyes had gone blank and didn't respond when Glorfindel called his name. Riding up next to Aragorn, he had waved his hand in front of the human's face and still got no reaction. After a few minutes he had finally come out of it with a shake.

            "I am fine. Why?"

            "You dazed away for a few minutes and did not respond when I called your name. Are you sure you are all right?"

            Aragorn nodded and gently massaged his temples with his fingertips. He wished these visions would stop happening, they were giving him terrible headaches. Most of all, he worried that a vision might blindside him during a battle and that could prove fatal.

            Glorfindel cast one more worried look to Aragorn before starting to look for a good place to set up camp for the night and however many days they intended to stay there. He knew it would be useless to try and push the human to explain what happened. If anything, Aragorn was known for his stubbornness and pride; something that more often than not got him into trouble. He could only hope that he would open up and allow him to help. While setting up camp, he noticed that Aragorn seemed slightly distracted and deep in thought. Glorfindel spoke a few words to the horses and released them to wander nearby. Catching Aragorn rubbing his temples again and grimacing, Glorfindel fixed a cup of tea and sprinkled in a few select herbs. Standing up from his squatting position, the elf walked over to the human and handed him the tin cup. Aragorn warily sniffed it before casting a look to Glorfindel.

            "It will just help with your headache; I promise, nothing else," he said holding up his hands with palms towards Aragorn.

            "You are almost as bad as ada," he muttered and downed the liquid in one gulp.

            "I shall take that as a compliment."

            "It was not intended to be one."

            Glorfindel raised an eyebrow in question but chose not to speak. "So what now Strider?"

            A bit of tension left the human as his headache faded and he stood. He walked towards the ruins and slowed to a stop before pressing a hand against the stone. He knew Glorfindel was behind him without turning around.

            "A door used to be here. A wooden one with a heavy but old bolt lock. And there used to be a foyer type room with a fire place there," he said and pointed towards a pile of stone.

            He slowly turned and looked at Glorfindel before looking past the elf to the tree. "They came from those trees, dark shadows that were chasing me. I finally opened the door and ran in to lock it behind me. Then I ran…I ran up the steps."

            Glorfindel kept his questions and comments to himself but he was really starting to worry. His companion spoke of things that had been ages ago, far before his time yet he spoke with a sense of familiarity. It almost seemed as if he had been there before when it was still used as a watchtower. He followed the human up the steps and watched as he stopped to retrace his steps.

            "There was a stone along the steps, a stone that come out from the others. I think it is this one."

            Aragorn knelt on the step and felt around the stone before gripping the edges. Slowly, he tugged at all the corners and felt the stone move bit by bit before falling from its place and tumbling down the steps. Glorfindel jumped aside to avoid being hit by the stone before looking to Aragorn.

            "You are starting to scare me Strider."

            "I am starting to scare myself," he replied and turned back to the gaping black hole.

            Taking a deep breath, he slowly eased his hand in and carefully felt around. His fingertips gently brushed against something rough and he grasped it before slowly pulling it out. It was a folded piece of parchment that was deeply browned by age, hidden away for countless years. Glancing up at Glorfindel for a moment, Aragorn carefully started to unfold the parchment but stopped when the elf placed a hand atop of his. Looking at the elf, Aragorn stopped his movements as he recognized the expression.

            "What is it?"

            "Orcs, a small group of them."

            He carefully put the piece of paper away in his coat and vowed to look at it later. His hand found his sword and pulled it out as he followed Glorfindel down the steps. Glorfindel stopped suddenly and turned to Aragorn.

            "Try not to get too injured, please."

            "Trust me, Glor."

            Aragorn stepped past the elf as he rolled his eyes. He grasped his sword as the orcs rushed from the trees towards them.

            Consciousness suddenly slammed into him from every angle to yank him from the peaceful blackness that he happily rested in. He heard someone screaming his name combined with something heavy resting on his back. The weight made it difficult of breath as he slowly opened his eyes to allow him to focus on something and find his balance. He remembered the battle and Lina yelling at him after his vision bleached out and he suddenly saw Aragorn. He growled slightly and tried to move his arms under him to push himself up. Legolas released several colorful curses when he realized that his arm was trapped under something heavy.

            "Legolas! Can you hear me?"

            "Lina!" he bellowed and struggled to free his arm.

            The woman hurried over to the pile of goblins and started to pull off the goblin bodies with one arm. Her other arm was pressed against her body to soak up the blood streaming from a nasty gash on her bicep. Kicking away a goblin, she freed Legolas' arm and pushed away another corpse as Legolas pushed himself up. Climbing to his feet, he flicked his hair out of his face and grimaced when his hand brushed against a small cut on his cheek.

            "Are you injured?" Lina asked and quickly looked him over.

            "I am fine, the small cut is the worst of my injuries. How are you?"

            "Fine," she replied and turned away just as the elf saw her bloody arm.

            "Do not start acting like a female version of Aragorn. You are not fine," he said and cleaned his blades before slipping them in his quiver.

            "I am perfectly fine, it is a small scratch," she said and picked up her bow before walking away.

            Legolas grabbed his bow and jogged after the woman as he cursed human stubbornness. He always ended up being stuck with the ones who had an over abundance of the stubborn streak.  It seemed to always be common with humans and he thought it was only the males but it seemed to be the females also.

            "I do not call that a small scratch. What is on my cheek is a small scratch and yours is not a small scratch. Do not argue with me woman," he said and grabbed her good arm to pull her around and look closer at the wound.

            He had no need to turn her for she spun on her own. Legolas jumped back a step when her fiery glare fell upon him and he knew that if looks could kill he would already be halfway to Mandos. Her eyes narrowed angrily as she pulled her arm from his grasp.

            "I do not need an elf telling me what to do."

            Ignoring his shocked expression, she spun and stormed towards the dwarf cave muttering curses under her breath. Entering the cave, she waved off questions of what happened as she walked to the back of the cave where they kept the healing supplies. Slipping out of the jerkin, she carefully pulled off her long sleeve tunic to her under tunic. The wound was finally exposed as she twisted her shoulder forward to look at the wound better. Squeezing out the excess water from the rag, she carefully cleaned the wound and wiped away the excess blood. Picking up a dry bandage, she pressed it against the wound to wait for the blood to stop seeping. Sensing someone watching her, she opened her eyes and found the source. Legolas stood a few yards away watching her while he held a mug in his hands. Seeing her look at him, he walked towards her and knelt in front of her before holding out the mug.

            "Truce?"

            She eyed the mug and looked to the elf before sighing. "Truce."

            "Will you let me look at your wound now?"

            Lina nodded and carefully removed the bandage as Legolas moved to her side. He hissed softly when he saw the raggedness of the wound. It wasn't severe but could leave a nasty looking scar if it wasn't treated correctly.

            "It would probably be best to have it stitched," he commented and Lina nodded.

            "I figured as much. So stitch it," she muttered and took a sip of the warmed wine.

            "Do you trust me to? I am not as talented as the healers."

            "Just stitch it and bind it."

            He shrugged his shoulders and searched through the supplies to find what was needed. Lina nodded to him when he looked for permission to begin. With nimble fingers, he quickly stitched the gash closed and tied it off before cutting away the remaining sinew. Lina handed him a jar and bandages for him to finish. Lathering the closed wound with the salve he bound her arm tightly before sitting back.

            "Done."

            "You should clean that cut on your cheek. It could become infected," she said and gestured towards his cheek.

            "That would be just my luck," he muttered and picked up the wet bandage. "I will be leaving at first light to ride to Hill of the Eye."

            "Why?"

            "I worry that my friend Strider is in trouble."

            "Strider as in…?"

            Legolas nodded in confirmation and Lina nodded.

            "Will you be staying with the dwarves for a while?"

            "No, my neck is beginning to ache from looking down at them when we speak. If you would allow it, I would like to travel with you though," she said and pulled on her tunic and jerkin.

            "I have no objections; just be ready to leave early."

            "I will."

//////////////////////////

And here comes Chapter Four down the red carpet! She is looking stunning this evening at the FanFiction awards is she not Mike? She is going up against some hard competition this evening and only time will tell how many reviews she will get from the audience. Oh and here comes her mother down the red carpet…Spades: There goes my baby! *wails*…*poke*…Erin wake up…*poke poke*…Other Erin (roommate): You are day dreaming again…Erin wake up!...*smacks Spades over the head as she jerks awake in her butterfly chair* Hunh, what happened to the red carpet?...Roommate Erin: Red carpet? I have no idea what you are talking about girl but you need to post the new chapter.

It has been an interesting few days lately *cough* or at least you could call it interesting. So anyway, here is the new chapter for you all to read and review for me…pretty please with a cherry on top? I hope to get some more written in the next few days. Classes are over with but exams are coming up so that may occupy my time more until I go home for Christmas break. YEAH! I love Christmas time…well actually I hate it too. Love and hate it about the same. So please review for me people and I will love you all.

Thank you extremely to Lauren and Dha-Gal for betaing for me on this chapter. I love both of you to death *throws skittles into the air*

**_tHe_****_ InSaNe OnE- _Wow…really long review. I think I have met my quota for being yelled at by a reviewer in that one review. Now Miki…calm down. First off I did not throw him off a cliff *glances over the balcony edge* okay well I did not throw him. Second, if you do not hear voices then you are alone; the voices in my head do not like you…just kidding. Thirdly, I did not severely hurt him, just a little maimed. Fourthly, Glorfindel thinks that all the sons of Elrond are insane; it must have been a sex linked trait because Arwen does not have it. Fifthly, yes Legolas and the 'stunted ones' and Lina is the bestest dwarf lover there is. I just had to pull her in there as a dwarf lover. Sixthly, (apparently it is a word because my spell check did not highlight it) OH LOOK! Legolas only has a small scratch on his cheek! I did not think it possibly for him to get in a scrape with orcs/goblins/wargs/anything else possible without coming out with a few deathly injuries. Apparently it is for he just has a small scratch…must be because Aragorn is not with him. Now…did I get everything in the review that you yelled at me for? *looks over review again* I think so.**

**_Farscapeangel_****_- _Thank you for the compliment. I sent you an email about betaing for me but you did not respond. **

**_Balrog_****_ Lover- _YES! Little Lina is back and better than ever. The exams have come to take over the beating and attacking job for the orcs. And let me tell you they are beating my ass to a pulp.**

**_Lydia2- _**I emailed you about betaing for me but you did not respond. And thank you very much for the compliment.

**_Astievia_****_- _Lina is very cool. I am toying around with the idea a little later of having the twins come into the fray. I just worry that if I get too many characters in the story then I will harder for me to keep everyone straight and busy. I do not want to clutter the story and plotline with too many characters. I might have them come in later in the story though.**

**_Dha_****_-Gal- _You already betaed for me on this chapter and I thank you for it *bows and sweeps hand out from over my heart to my side…Hannon lle. I thank you very much for the compliment on my timing of bringing Legolas into the story later. I have the next chapter or two planned out in my head so now I just have to write it *rubs hands together and gazes at Poppy* Come my precious, we have work to do *evil cackle*.**

**_Elvendancer_****_- _Yes, everyone likes Lina. I like her too, very much. Do not even try to imagine yourself in my position. It is a nightmare come alive, I swear it is. I swear, I can write an entire chapter in just one night if the mood strikes me. I would start writing a bit and then I will get hooked and I just can not stop writing to save the life of me and before I know it the clock reads one or two in the morning. You have your sister reading the stories? How does she like them? Good I hope. I am always so antsy when someone reads my work.**

**_Deana- _**I wrote you an email about betaing for me and you did not reply *pouts*. And no, it never ends with those two. I swear they should have their own personal healing wing dedicated to themselves. Just think of the insurance costs *shudder*.

**_Konjurer_****_- _Do you realize how much my ego swelled when I read your review? Eh gads, I thought I would bloody float out the third floor window with that review. I swear I just started to dance around in my seat at my desk when I read it *giggle* Did I just giggle? Oh it is getting bad if I giggled.**

**_Snow-Glory- _**Did Lina surprise you? Well they are not exactly hurt…just a little worn around the edges. Heehee, I am so bad but I love it.

**_Star-Stallion- _**This is the first time that Legolas has been in a battle and come out relatively unscathed. Shocking, I know. If you would like to be one of my beta readers then please understand that this would be a phenomenal undertaking. I will email you all the details and if you still want to do it then I will put you on my beta people list. 

**_Bill the Pony2- _***blushes* Thank you so much and yes I did see the movie Dragon Heart. I saw it a few months ago for the first time on USA and I started to think that a story with a dragon would be a good story and I just started to daydream about the story and wrote a bit of it in my head before putting it down on paper. I kind of took Draco's image and described Sauros in the same physical form but the rest of the dragons were conjured from my demented little mind. One getting the original idea it just took off and has been leading the way ever since.

**_Grumpy- _**I thought the trap was hilarious. The sign will be reappearing eventually in the story, I have this really good idea that I will use a few more chapters into the future…I just hope that I do not forget it. Send me a cookie! What kind are they? Yummy.

**_Lauren- _**It is really funny when anyone tries to scare me. That is one of the reasons that I was almost banned for life from Madam Toussauds for life. You know the famous wax museum in London. Yeah, really bad occurrences there including me and being scared by a bloody actor *growls* anyway, that is a really long story. The Aragorn sign will be coming back in a few chapters, Heehee, it will be funny believe me. 'I Spy' is a very good funny movie. Those two were marvelous together. And thank you very much for being my beta reader *bows with hand over heard before sweeping it out* Hannon lle. 


	5. Chapter 5

            Aragorn gently felt his split lip with his tongue and cast a look to Glorfindel. Glorfindel looked up at the human and looked like he was searching for the sign. Aragorn groaned to himself and glanced over at the group of orcs that were fighting amongst themselves. Looking away, he tried to pinpoint where everything started to go wrong. He figured it was probably when he accidentally fell off the stone wall and onto Glorfindel. Glorfindel probably did not see it as accidental when Aragorn had toppled onto him. Providing a cushion for Aragorn had cost the elf a broken collarbone that hampered the elf's fighting ability. Aragorn came away with an arrow pierced through his thigh among other scratches and scrapes. Now he was hanging from his wrists under a strong tree limb with Glorfindel bound on the ground under him. He was lying on his stomach with his hands bound behind him with his ankles. Personally, Aragorn was amazed that Glorfindel was still conscious. He knew the position was putting an enormous amount of strain on the bone and burned red-hot pain.

            "I am starting to think that the sign is visible only to the bad guys," Aragorn muttered ruefully.

            "I pity Legolas."

            "Why?"

            "He is the one commonly in this position when he travels with you. I can identify with him now."

            "Sometimes it is his fault if we get into these types of situations."

            "I doubt that seeing how it was you that fell from the wall," Glorfindel retorted and struggled to keep the pain from his voice.

            "I did not fall, at least not on purpose," he said and leaned his head back to try and ease the pain in his shoulders.

            He looked up at the darkening sky as thunder rumbled down from the sky. He blinked as rain started to fall from the sky and soak him. Soon, it was a downpour with lightening and thunder. Rolling his eyes at his luck, Aragorn looked at the orcs as they stopped fighting and turned their attention to the captives.

            "What should we do wit 'em?"

            "Chop 'em up an roast 'em."

            One kicked Glorfindel in the gut and jeered at him as they circled around them. Aragorn tensed as one grabbed the arrow and twisted it deeper into his thigh muscles. He bit his bottom lip when the shaft snapped and left the arrowhead in the muscles. Valar, why him? Did all Rangers get into as much trouble as he did, or was it just him? Did this type of stuff happen to Legolas when the two of them were separate? Aragorn would have hated to have all this fun without his good friend.

            "Looks likes he needs some healin'."

            An orc poured some kind of liquid onto the gaping wound that sent a bolt of fire through Aragorn. Gasping, he jerked his good leg up and kicked the orc in the face. A few of the orcs laughed at their comrade while others converged on the human. They forced the liquid down Aragorn's throat to cause the human to gag and start choking. The orcs laughed and released Aragorn as his head lolled back weakly. His vision blurred suddenly and he felt sick to his stomach.

            "Strider?" Glorfindel asked upon hearing the labored breathing.

            "I do not fell well," he murmured and tilted his head back towards the rain.

            He started to curse his luck and whatever liquid it was the orcs gave him. His stomach started to clench painfully into knots as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He really didn't like where this was going.

            Legolas slowed his horse and motioned for Lina to do the same. He listened carefully and blocked out the rain sounds. Lina held her bow and watched the elf from beneath her hood as her horse snorted under her. Legolas turned and looked towards the left when his ears caught a sound. Without a word, he spun his horse and rode up through the foliage with Lina right behind him. Water splashed up from the horses' pounding hooves as they weaved around the trees and reached the crest of the hill. Lina's horse half reared at the abrupt stop as Legolas pointed down the hill.

            "There."

             His horse was already going down the hill, half running and half sliding as Legolas pulled out an arrow and notched it. The arrow zinged through the air and pierced the orc's black heart. Lina urged her horse after him and reached for an arrow as Legolas galloped headlong into the group of orcs. The rain continued to fall as Legolas slipped off his horse and pulled out his double blades. The heavy-footed orcs were not match for a light-footed elf and the pouring rain. He would kill one orc and already be attacking another before the first fell dead to the ground. Lina jumped off and swore loudly when her feet slipped in the mud and she saw an orc blade aiming straight for her neck. Throwing the rest of her weight backwards, she slid on her back over the mud and sliced through the orc's calves. When she slid into something that effectively stopped her slide, she rose onto one knee and stabbed the orc in the chest before he would grasp his blade. She spun on her knee and looked at what she had slid into. The hood hid her widening eyes as she looking upon the bound elf as he looked over at her. Moving closer to him, she sliced through the ropes and handed him one of her blades.

            "Get your friend down," she said and nodded towards the convulsing human.

            She rose quickly and sliced an orc all the way up his front and kicked him away. Legolas killed the last orc near him and looked around for any others. A flash of lightening illuminated Lina as she sliced through an orc with one move. He hurried over to Glorfindel and helped him with Aragorn as the elf cut the rope that suspended the human. Gently cradling Aragorn in his arms, Legolas eased him onto the soaked ground as Lina quickly looked him over.

            "We need to find shelter before I can help him," she said loudly over the downpour of rain.

            Legolas nodded and turned to Glorfindel before gently touching his shoulder. The older elf hissed in pain to cause Legolas to quickly retract his hand. His eyes narrowed slightly before whistling sharply for the horses. He helped Lina put Aragorn atop his horse and held him there as Legolas mounted behind him. Glorfindel was adamant that he could ride his own horse so Lina left him as she collected everything from their destroyed camp. Mounting her horse with all the supplies and equipment, they soon rode off quickly in search of shelter. Legolas held on tightly to Aragorn and wrapped his cloak around the convulsing human. His eyes searched for a relatively dry place to camp and hoped to find one soon. He finally saw something that could serve as a shelter for a while. Guiding his horse around the trees, they reached the rock out cropping that created a sheltered area under the rock. It wasn't the best, but it would suffice for what they needed it for.

            "Hand him down to me," Lina said once she dismounted her horse and moved next to Legolas' horse.

            He passed Aragorn down to Lina before sliding off his horse and taking back Aragorn. Lina helped Glorfindel off his horse and towards the back of the earth made cave. Legolas quickly searched through Lina's packs and pulled out everything she could possibly need. Hurrying back, he collected all the dry wood he could and quickly built a fire. Lina glanced over at Glorfindel as she looked over Aragorn's wounds.

            "What did they do to him?" she asked and brushed aside the sweat soaked hair.

            "Forced some kind of foul liquid upon him and on his thigh wound," he answered and flinched as Legolas felt along his collarbone.

            "Legolas, help me with him."

            They carried Aragorn out and into the rain a few yards from the small campsite. Legolas pulled his cloak over the human's shivering body. They put him on his knees as Legolas held his upper body.

            "What are you going to do?" Legolas asked as she knelt in front of Aragorn and him.

            "Make him throw up what he has not ingested so far. Then I shall work on what he has ingested," she said and gently opened Aragorn's mouth. "I hope he does not bite me."

            Holding his jaw with one hand, her fingers on her other hand felt in his mouth for the specific spot. When she found it, the reaction was almost instant as Aragorn lurched forward. Lina pulled her hand clear just moments before Aragorn expelled everything that was in his stomach. The contents were tinged black and speckled with blood from the foul liquid in his belly. Soon it was just dry heaves that stopped eventually and left him sagging weakly in Legolas' arms. Lina directed him to bring Aragorn back under the rock as she pulled off her cloak and followed them. While Legolas changed Aragorn into dry clothes, she cleaned the thigh wound, removed the arrowhead, and mixed a healing paste. Quickly stitching the wound, she slathered on the paste and bound the wound. Turning to the mixture bubbling over the flames, she removed it and strained the mixture.

            "Use that paste on Glorfindel's shoulder before you bind it; it will help numb the area. And make sure the bone is properly aligned," she said as she pointed to the paste she used on Aragorn's thigh.

            Lifting Aragorn's upper body and resting him against her chest, she carefully coaxed the liquid down his throat until the liquid was entirely gone. Setting aside the tin cup, she pressed two fingers against his throat and under his jaw. Legolas moved next to her as she eased Aragorn to the ground and placed her folded up cloak under his head. She rubbed her face tiredly and ran a hand through her spiky hair before looking up to Legolas.

            "How is Glorfindel?" she questioned and glanced over at the golden haired elf.

            "At the moment he is sleeping. He muttered something about a sign before he fell asleep but I believe it was just babbly. How is Aragorn?"

            "Sleeping. I gave him something to counteract the orc's brew and to help him sleep. His body will purge the rest of it on its own. I expect an infection or some sickness and I will have to deal with it when it comes. He should be fine after he rests though," she answered and glanced out towards the wet forest.

            "How long?"

            "At least five hours until he wakes, I would guess," she said and sat down next to Aragorn before resting her hand over his heart.

            Legolas nodded and stood slowly as he looked around their small camp. Reaching for his bow, he looked down at Lina.

            "I will be back later tonight. Call if you need me; I will hear you," he said before sprinting out from under the shelter.

            His oiled cloak allowed the rainwater to run off him in rivulets as he leaped into the trees. His feet and hands were sure and confident in their movements as he climbed the trees with the grace of the Wood-elves. Finding a decent tree with a strong branch to serve as his perch, he stopped on it and rearranged his cloak. He balanced on his toes and lightly grasped the wet wood between his feet as he held his bow with his other hand. The cloak cocooned him and the hood covered his blonde hair to allow him to effectively melt into the darkness. Perched there, he allowed his mind to wander and think about things he wouldn't allow himself to think about during the day.

            The Mirkwood elf thought about things that elves commonly didn't think about. The future concerned Legolas more than he knew it should have. He felt the sea longing call to him like a sweet lover's song. The longing sometimes woke him at night and sometimes attacked him during archery practice. He also knew that he wouldn't submit to the calling for a while. His intentions were to be there when Aragorn took his rightful place on the throne of Gondor. He also had the feeling that it wouldn't happen for several more years. Aragorn was still reluctant to talk about that subject even with his good friends. He feared that the weakness of Isildur would corrupt him and lead to his downfall. He worried about a weakness that had no power over him. Legolas knew what strength resided in Aragorn, son of Arathorn. He could see it in the human's eyes and the way he held himself, with pride and confidence that only a descendant of Elendil could possess. Legolas knew in his heart that Aragorn would be a king that would be spoken of with the utmost respect because he earned it and not demanded it. He knew what it was like at the bottom and would never forget who he was. Aragorn was a man first, then a Ranger, then a king. That was what truly made you a great king. Seeing who you really are inside, and admitting it.

            Early the next morning, the Mirkwood elf jumped down from his perch and sprinted back to the camp as the sun peeked over the horizon. The rain had stopped during the night and the forest was fresh with the rain and earth smell. Everything looked new and bright as he slowed to a walk when he neared the camp. Glorfindel stood near the horses, quietly murmuring to his mount and looked up when Legolas approached.

            "Greetings son of Thranduil. Needless to say, I was shocked to see you last night," the golden haired elf said as he placed his free hand over his heart and swept it to his side.

            "Many greetings to you Lord Glorfindel; I am surprised to see you traveling with Aragorn. I believed I was the only one crazy enough to travel with him," Legolas replied and returned the greeting.

            "Lord Elrond made me."

            Legolas threw his head back and laughed. Glorfindel reminded him of a young elfling charged to watch their younger sibling. A chaperone to watch over the heir of Gondor and keep him out of trouble. Or try to keep him out of trouble at least. Legolas knew first hand how problematic that could prove to be.

            "How is your shoulder?"

            "Achy but fine. Who is the young woman with Estel?"

            "That is young Lina from Tharbad. We stayed in her father's inn and Elladan grew fond of her."

            "That is Lina? Elladan could not stop talking about her when they came home."

            Legolas agreed and moved under the rock to check on the two humans. Lina leaned against the wall asleep with her hand resting over Aragorn's heart. Her eyes were fluttering open as Legolas crouched in front of her and waited to speak until she focused on him.

            "Good morning Master Elf," she murmured and glanced to Aragorn.

            She carefully felt his pulse at the side of his throat before touching his forehead with the back of her hand. He was slightly warmer than normal indicating a small fever that wasn't unexpected. She glanced up at Glorfindel as he neared before looking to Legolas.

            "He has a slight fever but it is not bad. I will fix him some willow bark tea and check his thigh wound," she said and slowly climbed to her feet.

            "You fix the tea and I will unwrap his thigh," Legolas said and moved closer to the injured limb.

            Lina looked at Aragorn's wrists and noted how chafed and red they were. Picking up a few more select herbs, she started to mix a new batch of healing paste. While it was cooling, she coaxed the tea down his throat and was pleased to see that he was responding to the taste of the bitter tea. Laying him back down, she carried the small pot to Legolas and helped him with the thigh wound. Once rewrapping it, Legolas excused himself to go and speak to Glorfindel privately. Sitting cross-legged next to Aragorn, Lina gently took one of his wrists into her lap and gently massaged the paste onto the rope burns and sores. The hand she was holding suddenly twitched slightly causing her to jump slightly and look at his face for more signs of waking. His eyelids slowly opened and blinked a few times to focus before turning his gaze to her.

            "Welcome back Lord Aragorn."

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I am so sorry for taking so long on this chapter. Exams were beating the living stuffing out of me this week. Also, I was fully intending to send the chapter out to my beta readers on the night of the 15th but my good friend had a major guy crisis/problem and I was called up with her close to tears and I made a house call to her place to listen and lend a shoulder to cry on. From then on we ate popcorn, watched XMen2, and got drunk. Well she got drunk and I pretty much drank but stayed sober to keep an eye on her. Therefore I did not leave her place till like midnight or one in the morning and then I had to take a shower when I got home and this morning I woke up with a case of nausea. Yeah, so the afternoon of the 16th I sent the chapter out to my beta people after getting it all typed up and I am finally getting the chapter posted before I pack up my laptop to go home for Christmas break. *sigh* I should charge for bloody home visits. So anyway, please review for me and I will consider it an early Christmas present.

**_Deana- _**Yes I emailed to you and it did not come back to me so I assumed that you received it. Thank you for the offer to Beta but I have two lovely ladies doing it for me. I will give you a holler if you would like to beta for a new story of mine. Whenever I write it.

**_Ringmarciel_****_- _I love Lina to death now. I hope this story will be longer that the last one. I know it will be over 15 chapters long, at least I fully intend it to be.**

**_Bill the Pony2- _**Exams are beating me to a bloody pulp! I am losing my bloody mind! You like skittles? I like skittles, I get them all the time from Dha-Gal whenever she reviews for me or I review for her. Love her to death too.

**_Grumpy- _**Glorfindel is going to sort of the comic relief in this story. Oh I feel bad for him already. Now, see I went without sleep for three and a half days once. But those were my horse show days and I was a bit younger at the time. I slept for like a week after that incident. My parents were not amused.

**_Balrog_Lover_**_- _**Seriously though. This morning I thought orcs were stomping around in my head and before my biology exam they were digging around in my poor little brain. Thank god for extra strength Tylenol. Well thank you so much for the compliment; I love hearing comments like that. I wonder who they would have cast Glorfindel as? Heath Ledger? Oh, oh, I got it! Brad Pitt! Heehee. But anyway, yes I am thrilled to have Lina back in the story. Lina is going to turn into the female form of Aragorn, eh gads, help us! "I am perfectly fine." *passes out***

**_Star-Stallion- _**Oh Aragorn will be fine, he always is in the end. He is like the freakin energizer bunny, he keeps going and going and going *shakes head* geez. Elf angst will be coming eventually.

**_Elvendancer_****_- _Heehee, yes I always need my sleep. I fully intended to go to sleep early yesterday but no, my friend had to call me at 9 in the evening crying her eyes out over a guy so I had to go and keep an eye on her while she cried into her drink. And of course I had to drink with her. Is your sister…Gwyn? Just curious, because the two of you and your reviews seem to coincide. **

**_Snow-Glory- _**Yeah, I had a good bit of time elapse between the two stories. It fit better with my plot line if I had a chunk of years go by. The piece of paper will coming up later in the next chapter about what was on it and what it means.

**_Gwyn_****_- _Yeah! *cheers* You caught up! Well I normally get the updates up quickly but it is exam week/hell week so it took me a bit longer than normal and for that I apologize.**

**_Elven_****_ Kitten- _Well thank you so much! I like Glorfindel a bunch, there is just something about him that…I do not know. Just something about him I guess.**

**_Lauren- _**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Thank you so much for getting back to me quickly with the proofread copy of the chapter. Hannon lle. *bows and sweeps hand to side from over my heart*


	6. Chapter 6

            Aragorn had the ideal look of confusion on his face as he looked at the young woman. She looked familiar to him but he couldn't place her face. Looking past her, he saw his friend Legolas and Glorfindel walking over towards him with concern written across their faces. He opened his mouth to greet them but suddenly felt his stomach heave. The woman saw the sudden paleness and hastily helped him roll over to dry heave a few times.

            "Legolas hand me my bag of herbs," she instructed and pointed to the leather satchel.

            Pulling out three different sprigs of a dried herb, she crushed them in one hand before holding it under Aragorn's nose.

            "Breath in deeply through your nose."

            He did as instructed and inhaled the strong fragrance of whatever was in her hand. He suddenly didn't care who she was just as long as she kept those herbs out to keep the nausea at bay. His stomach immediately calmed as she gently pulled him onto his back. Her hands were gentle as she cradled his head and repositioned her folded cloak to rest his slightly aching head on it. Lina rubbed her hands together to crush the herbs even more before piling the dried bits above his head. Without being asked to, she moved aside to allow the friends to talk as she prepared a tea to help the nausea and headache that he was trying to hide. She had studied under the best human healers and knew how to treat just about every human ailment that arose in a patient. Her only wish now was to study under Lord Elrond and learn from his knowledge to expand her own medical knowledge.

            "How are you feeling Strider?" Legolas questioned as he sat beside Aragorn.

            "You do not want to know," he mumbled and breathed in the herbs' scent.

            "But I do and so does Lina if she is to continue caring for you," the elf replied and mentally rolled his eyes.

            He knew very well how stubborn the Ranger could be when the mood struck him and it was usually at the worst times possible. Legolas would never admit it but it irritated him to no end when his friend was stubborn about his health. His stubbornness was notorious around Rivendell and Mirkwood and especially with the healers of those realms. There was one healer that Aragorn's stubbornness didn't work on and that was Lord Elrond. Oh, Aragorn did try but one of Elrond's more potent looks would serve to end all resistance and any sort of stubborn streak. Legolas also knew that Aragorn could imitate Lord Elrond's look shockingly well to almost amazing limits. Valar have mercy on Legolas whenever he is injured and Aragorn cares for him and he refuses to take a medicine. He was beginning to think it a conspiracy that all the sons of Elrond knew of the look and knew exactly when to use it.

            "Very well, my stomach is twisting into knots and I feel as if I am about to throw up everything that I have eaten in the last week or two. If you wish, you may stay there and possibly inspect what I have had to eat in the past few days," Aragorn snapped and closed his eyes against his pounding headache.

            "I have already been privileged to that spectacle, thank you very much. Has your father ever told you how grumpy you become when you are sick?" Legolas questioned sarcastically as the human opened an eyelid slowly to glare at the elf before closing it.

            "Many times I believe," Glorfindel commented with a wry grin as he slowly lowered himself to the ground on the opposite side of Aragorn.

            "I apologize mellonin, I do not mean to be so short with you," Aragorn apologized quietly and swallowed to attempt to control his queasy stomach.

            Aragorn slowly opened his eyes as the woman tapped Legolas on the shoulder and handed him a tin cup carefully before quietly said something to him. Smiling down at Aragorn, she turned and stepped out into the sun and moved over towards the horses and mounted. She pulled her bow off her back and cued her horse to move off and she quickly rode out of Aragorn's sight. Legolas slid his arm under Aragorn's shoulders and lifted him slightly to have him drink from the tin cup. Aragorn noted that Glorfindel didn't help before he noticed that the elf's arm was tightly bound to his chest to keep it immobile. Thanking his friend, he turned to Glorfindel and cocked an eyebrow at him.

            "Do I really want to know what happened after I lost consciousness?"

            Legolas chuckled as Glorfindel told the Ranger everything that occurred before allowing Legolas to take over the narrative. He told him about riding through the rain and coming across the group of orcs before freeing the captives. Aragorn nodded here and there and remembered the sheet of parchment that had first started this wild goose chase. Once Legolas finished his story, Aragorn realized that he did in fact feel better after drinking that tea that the woman fixed for him. After that thought, he realized that he didn't even know the woman's name when she had been an important part in rescuing them from the orcs.

            "You failed to mention one thing Legolas. Who is the young woman that has been caring for me?" Aragorn questioned and looked past his friend to see if she had returned.

            Legolas glanced over his shoulder to look for Lina. She had told him that she was going to find some more herbs for her healing satchel and catch some fresh food for meals. He would have to remember to thank her for all she had done and continued to do. He didn't know what he would have done if he found Glorfindel and Aragorn by himself; he was not instructed in the healing arts. True, he knew how to deal with the simple things that all warriors are taught. One was being how to draw an arrow from a wound, setting a broken bone, even how to treat some orc poisons but that was the extent of his healing knowledge. Legolas was starting to think that it would be wise to learn some more healing techniques since he traveled so often with Aragorn and more often than he would like to admit. When someone was injured it would likely be both of them and he feared the day that something happened to Aragorn and he wouldn't know how to treat it. Maybe he would follow that idea when he next visited the Lord of Imladris.

            "I do not blame you for not recognizing her, Aragorn. I could barely believe it when we…bumped…into each other."

            Legolas snorted quietly to himself at the wording he used. 'Bumped' he thought dryly. More like hanging in a bloody net set by her and was found by her, with a small troupe of dwarves to add insult to injury. He swore to never tell Aragorn or anyone of that incident, if he did then he would have to kill them; it was as simple as that. The logic sounded well and good to him. Aragorn cocked an eyebrow at him and knew that the elf was covering over something but he didn't know if he really wanted to know.

            "Well my dear friend Aragorn, that young woman happens to be young Lina from Tharbad. Remember her? The one that was so attached to Elladan when we came to rescue you from your escapade in that Valar forsaken town," Legolas supplied and Aragorn was momentarily shocked.

            Now that Legolas told him, he did see the resemblances and knew that was why he recognized her face. He almost wished that Elladan was here to see how much the young girl had grown in that short time. On second thought, he didn't want Elladan here; he would be mothering him half way to death by now and lecturing him something awful. Yeah, definitely did not want Elladan here or Elrohir for that matter. He was actually surprised that Glorfindel hadn't started to lecture him, but he could be waiting till Legolas left so the elf lord could have him all to himself without having something interrupt his 'you-should-know-better' lecture.

            "That was little Lina? The same little Lina that Elladan put up in a tree while they attacked the castle?"

            "The one and only. She has grown, has she not?" Legolas commented with a smile and turned his head when he heard a horse approach.

            Squeezing Aragorn's shoulder, he stood and left Glorfindel with Aragorn. He had a feeling that the elf lord wanted to talk with the human, well more like a lecture than a talk really. Glorfindel had that look in his eyes and Legolas knew that he didn't want to be a part of the lecture, or an accomplice, whichever way you would want to look at it. Aragorn would certainly look upon it as he being an accomplice and delighting in the lecture that the human was subjected to. Legolas smiled to himself when he heard Glorfindel launch into his lecture that he almost knew by heart. Reaching the tree line, Legolas waited and watched as Lina's horse weaved smoothly around the trees with Lina sitting comfortably atop him. In her hand were a few wild fowls and her healing satchel was bulging slightly at her side as it bounced slightly with the horse's motion. Stopping in front of the elf, she slipped off the horse and spoke a few words to the animal before nudging it away towards the other horses a few yards away.

            "How is Aragorn doing?" she asked as she turned her attention to the elf.

            "Better; he is not feeling as nauseous as before. That drink helped him greatly even though he is loath to admit that he needed it. I must thank you Lina for helping him. I am not so well informed with human ailments as others are and fear that I have been slightly useless in the healing department," he said and bowed slightly to the woman.

            "There is no need to thank me Master Elf and you have been much help. A patient heals quicker when he knows that he is loved and has many concerned for his well-being. You do much by being a good friend to him," she replied, slightly embarrassed by the thanking.

            Legolas smiled at her slight embarrassment and turned when Glorfindel called to him. Lina followed him as he walked back up to the other two and knelt down next to Aragorn as he handed him a sheet of parchment. Unfolding it, he looked over what was written on it before looking to Aragorn confused.

            "What does this mean?" he asked and looked back to the sheet.

            The entire sheet was filled with just numbers except for the last line, which was written in common tongue. The sheet read:

20.18.1.22.5.12…25.15.21…13.21.19.20…2015…1.14.14.21.13.9.14.1.19

1.14.3.9.5.14.20…19.5.1.20…15.6…20.8.5…11.9.14.7.19…15.6.1.18.14.15.18

6.9.14.4…20.8.5…23.1.12.12…23.9.20.8…20.8.5…19.25.13.2.15.12

16.21.19.8…1.14.4…25.15.21…19.8.1.12.12…6.9.14.4…23.8.1.20…25.15.21…19.5.1.18.3.8…6.15.18

In a world as cold as stone, must I walk this path alone? 

            "'In a world as cold as stone, must I walk this path alone?' What does that mean? What is this?" Legolas asked and flipped the sheet over to look at the back.

            "For the past few weeks I have been having nightmares almost every night and one of the most realistic dreams were here, at the Hill of the Eye. I hid that piece of paper behind a stone on the stairwell in my dream before I died."

            "You died?" Legolas asked sharply and Aragorn shrugged his shoulders slightly.

            "I did not really die which is kind of obvious but whoever's body I was in did die but I woke up before the body hit the ground. The person was killed because of that parchment of because of something that he knew about it and I think it was intended for me to find it," Aragorn said as Glorfindel helped him sit up slightly so he wasn't talking to them while he was on his back.

            "Aragorn, we can not even understand this. It is encoded and we have no idea of how to break the code when we do not even know which code was used," Legolas argued logically, not noticing Lina's interest.

            Lina paused momentarily upon hearing about a code. Her hands started to continue to pluck the fowl from their feathers out in the open but kept her ears tuned to the conversation. Her father always told her that eavesdropping is not polite but he never specified what eavesdropping really was. She merely tuned into their normal conversation, which they were not trying to shield, too keep her mind occupied while she cleaned the fowl. It was very logical to her when she told herself it. She was also very interested in this coded parchment; her father and she always had a game between the two of them when she was younger. Her father liked to create mind games with her that taught her to think of every possible angle of any possible problem. Not meaning to brag, she knew that up till that moment no puzzle had ever stumped her and now this new mystery promised to be worthy of an attempt to break the code.

            "Do not forget that I see the same thing as you do, my friend. But we have to at least try and solve it and hopefully these nightmares of mine will end and stop haunting me," Aragorn said, and hoped to hide the exhaustion from his voice.

            "And stop the nightmares from clawing your back to shreds," Glorfindel commented and Aragorn suddenly wanted to throttle the golden haired elf.

            "What is he talking about Strider?" Legolas asked quickly and Aragorn dropped his gaze from the piercing blue eyes of the prince of Mirkwood.

            "It is nothing, just a few scratches; nothing to be worried about."

            "'Scratches'? With you, a few scratches usually tend to be huge gashes and they tend to become infected," Legolas said and noted that lines of fatigue were starting to stretch across the human's face. "I believe it is time for you to rest Strider."

            "I am fine," Aragorn protested and smothered a yawn.

            "Rest or I will tell Lina to make a sleeping draught and we will forcefully drug you into a stupor," Legolas said sharply and Aragorn looked at him darkly.

            Usually, the human would fiercely argue with the elf but he knew all to well that he was outnumbered. It was one against three and he would not allow anyone to drug him, certainly not into a stupor as Legolas threatened. The Ranger also knew that the elf would probably enjoy it far too much. He glared at the blonde haired elf as he called over Lina to look over the Ranger's back at the mere 'scratches'. Legolas watched as Lina lifted his under tunic and gently allowed her fingers to drift over the healing slashes. She asked a few questions about his health: if any of the slashes still bothered him, had his stomach settled, and was his thigh bothering him any. He answered while he continued to glare daggers at the smug looking elf. Once she was done, she helped him lie back down and he was quickly asleep, much to Legolas amusement.

            "The slashes?" he asked Lina as she stood after covering Aragorn with a blanket.

            "They are healing nicely as is his thigh wound. The foul potion of the orcs does not seem to have left any lingering effects on him. His stomach will probably be a little queasy for the next day or so, I will fix a bland broth for him to eat that should not upset his stomach," she said and glanced over at Glorfindel. "I should check that shoulder of yours. You may be able to leave it unbound, just be sure to use it lightly."

            Glorfindel nodded and stood so she could unwrap the linens holding his arm to his chest. Legolas slowly walked away from them as he looked down at the parchment in his hands. The numbers meant nothing to him and was worried that they couldn't break whatever code the author used to write this. He knew without a doubt that he would try his hardest for his friend, but he worried that they wouldn't be able to. What would it say if they did solve the code? How important was this piece of parchment? Valuable enough for someone's death? Legolas wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

///////////////

You would not believe the story behind this chapter. So last night I sit down with my family and watch Pirates of the Caribbean. Well once it was done I headed off to bed which was about 10 o'clockish. I pull out my laptop with the intention of working on my POTC story and while opening the file from the disk I also opened chapter five of this story. Well I already have a bit written for it so I would just go ahead and type it up. Did not expect to stay up till two in the bloody morning working on it! My fingers just would not stop typing and before I knew it, several hours had passed and I had the next chapter ready to be sent out to my beta readers. *sighs* So anyway, here is the new chapter and I hope everyone enjoys it and please review for me. It would make a marvelous Christmas present.

"In a world as cold as stone, must I walk this path alone?"--Amy Grant "Breath of Heaven" A huge thank you goes out to Astievia for giving this quote/song lyric to me.

**_Gwyn_****_- _Yes, it is the dreaded exams! I am finished now and at home for the holidays but I am scared to get my final grades. I so bombed the math exam it is so not even funny. I hate math with a passion and it hates me. Was this enough angst? Probably not, but I promise there will be lots of angst coming up.**

**_Astievia_****_- _I know, poor Glorfindel. He is so going to be the comic relief of this story. It is just hilarious to me. Anyway, I also saw RotK a few days ago and all I have to say is wow. That was a kick ass movie, great battle scenes, and I really loved that song that Merry or Pippin did. I can never remember how to tell them apart. He sang it for Denethor and then the song that Aragorn sang once he was crowned and then when he kissed Arwen. Eh gads I started to cheer. Man, the entire audience cheered (well at least all the women) when Eowyn killed the Witch King with "I am no a man. I am a woman."**

**_Elvendancer_****_- _Heehee, the unfortunate incidents; that what makes all my life as adventurous as it is. Okay, so Gwyn is not your sister that is cool. I have not heard from a Ginny Potter or a Legalady, tell them they need to review for me. I love reading reviews.**

**_Dha_****_-Gal- _*smacks you over the head* DUH, you are one of my beta readers chica. You are one of my favorite reviewers, did you know that? You are. And for that I will forgive you for killing the poor bird that was sitting on your window sill. And I am slightly depressed, I left my bag of skittles in Charleston and now I have none up here at home. I will have to remember to buy some next time I go to the grocery store. Hannon lle mellonin. You are proving to be a worthy friend as well as a beta reader.**

**_Lydia2- _**I have fixed the silver/golden haired error and will repost that chapter when I post this one. I sent you this chapter to beta for me and I will wait till this evening for your reply but I will post before I got to bed; or at least tomorrow morning. Thank you very much for notifying me of the error with Glorfindel's hair. He was slightly ticked when he learned of my error.

**_Ringmarciel_****_- _I know I will get to 15 chapters but I hope that it will be longer. At the pace the story is going at now, I believe it will pass 15 but I am staying realistic. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the others.**

**_Grumpy- _**I have been tossing around the idea of a story of what happens when they actually try to get themselves into trouble. Have not worked on it yet but I hope to soon. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**_Star-Stallion- _***snort* HA! ENERGIZER BUNNY EXTRODINAIRE! Eh gads, that was just hilarious. Oh, the Christmas season has definitely gotten to me. There is a story written by Nili where a character says: "…I believe we found something that belongs to you." Saying this to Glorfindel that had gone out to search for the twins who were in trouble as usual. And you hear Elladan at the back of the group saying something like: "You really did not find us…we did not ask for this…and (my favorite personally) we certainly do not belong to anyone." I would copy it on here but my computer being idiotic and will not let me get to the chapter. 

**_Elven_****_ Kitten- _I am too slightly. But I do love Arwen's line of: "If you want him, come and claim him!" Thank you so much for the compliment.**

**_Lauren- _**Thank you much mellonin for betaing this chapter for me. And thank you for the compliment about the imagery and character interaction; those just lifted my spirits to sky high proportions. You are proving to be a very worthy fiend and beta reader. Diolla lle (I hope I got that right).


	7. Chapter 7

            Lina set aside the tin plate and wiped her mouth on her tunic sleeve. She knew that it wasn't very lady like but out here being lady like could get you killed. Oh, she could be the perfect model of a lady when the time called for it but she wasn't in any position to bring it out. She probably wouldn't have proclaimed this to be her finest moment in her lifetime; she worried what her father might say if he ever got wind of this. Here she was, in the company of three men out in the wilderness and with no protection. Well she did have protection, the best she could possess: herself. Her brother taught her everything he knew about protecting one's self and a little more to boot. True, on some occasions she had fought dirty and sometimes in a sneaky style but whatever kept her alive was what she used. Some of the stories she could tell about her escapades would certainly make most people shake their head in amazement at the amount of trouble the young woman could get herself into. There was that one time at the tavern with the rooster…she shook her head with a smirk, no need to recall that incident. And here she was, planning on how she was going to get that piece of parchment from an elf to look at it and hopefully see the code. Oh, of course she tried right way first and asked him to see it but she had gotten the answer that she actually expected to get. 'You will not be able to decipher it' and he walked away. Well fine, if he wasn't going to willingly give it up then she would simply just 'borrow' it from him when he fell asleep. The only tricky part was that he was an elf; she knew very well how sensitive elves' senses were and knew that she would have to be extremely cautious.

            The day had gone by quickly with her looking to Aragorn's wounds and Glorfindel's shoulder. His collarbone was healing nicely and she had allowed him to keep it unbound just as long as he didn't use the arm. Legolas and Glorfindel worked on the parchment as often as they could and often worked with Aragorn whenever he awoke from his naps. His stomach had accepted a bland broth so he was getting nutrition and liquid now. It was now late in the evening and Aragorn was already asleep for the night, Glorfindel was in a deep healing sleep, and Legolas had just dozed off leaning against the dirt wall with the parchment in his hands. Lina was tired of waiting and standing ideally by while they worked and failed on the parchment, she wanted her turn at it. Slipping off her boots and socks to toss them aside with her coat, she silently stood and tip toed over towards Legolas. Her bare feet made absolutely no sound as she neared the elf while he leaned against the wall in sleep. She could see that Legolas' eyes were unfocused in elven sleep as she slowly breathed through her mouth. She wasn't one to brag but there were occasions that she was able to slip past elves and go undetected. It took all of her talents to do it but it did happen and she was damn proud of it. Nearing him, she centered herself and slowly reached out for the piece of parchment. His fingers were relaxed and it allowed her to carefully lift the parchment out of his fingers and pull it away. Knowing it was not the opportune time to get all giddy, she stood there silently to be sure that he didn't wake. Not seeing any difference, she slowly backed away and kept her eyes glued to his throat. If he was to wake up then that was the first point of reference for her to notice; the pulse under his jaw would change just a bit to indicate he was awake. The pulse stayed the same as she backed away and exited the small camp to slip into the dense woods.

            Slipping the parchment into a small pocket in her leggings, she pulled herself into a tree directly beside the camp to be nearby in case anything happened. Climbing onto a strong branch, she arranged herself comfortably and pulled out the parchment when she was sure that she wasn't going to fall out of the tree. Holding the parchment in the light of the moon, she quickly scanned it and started to make mental notes to herself.

            "'In a world as cold as stone, must I walk this path alone?' And these numbers…interesting," she murmured as her fingers of her free hand drifted over the numbers on the parchment.

            Her mind started to run through all the possibilities that the numbers could mean and came up with blanks. Snorting to herself, she pulled out an arrow and started to twirl it between her fingers. For the next several hours, she sat in the tree working on the parchment sheet until the sun slowly peeked over the horizon. By the time Legolas awoke, she was smiling faintly at the sunrise as he climbed into the tree to sit on a branch below her. Her right leg swung forward and back with her arms draped over her knee of her bent left leg as she gazed at the beautiful sight. Legolas looked up at her with a bit of amusement and waited in silence, for a while he also looked at the sunrise.

            "I must give you applause. I did not think it possible for a human to sneak up on me and take something from my very hands without waking me. You have accomplished the impossible," Legolas said as Lina smiled and continued to look at the sunrise.

            "Not impossible, it is improbable. And it is probably because you have only interacted with men. Women are much lighter footed than men but not nearly as light footed as elves. I was just extremely cautious because I knew how sensitive elves can be," she said and shrugged her shoulders.

            "May I have the parchment back?"

            Lina reached into her pocket and retracted the parchment to hand it to the elf.

            "I am starting to think that it is indecipherable. Perhaps Gandalf can-"

            "I did it."

            "I mean he is a wizard and…and…you deciphered it?"

            "That I did. It was actually easy once I found out which code they used; it was actually a really easy one, which was what had me stumped. I was expecting a very difficult code but it is very easy; I assume that the purpose was to ensure that no orcs could read it because they do not have the intelligence of the normal alphabet. Come along, I will tell all three of you at the same time instead of three times to three different people," she replied and started to climb down the tree.

            Legolas stared blankly at her for a moment as she dropped to the forest floor. "Hunh?"

            "Come Master Elf, time is wasting," she called as she walked back towards camp.

            Legolas jumped down from the tree and landed silently on the ground and was walking after her in the next step. Lina was preparing a small breakfast for everyone when he approached and stood behind her. Glorfindel was gently waking Aragorn up and helped him sit up slightly to eat the broth Lina handed him. He made a face at the bland broth but ate it when Glorfindel glared at him with his own version of the Elrond look. Legolas crossed his arms across his chest and waited till Lina sat down and looked at the three of them.

            "I would hate to interrupt your breakfast but I have some important information that you might find interesting. I deciphered the parchment sheet; I know what it says."

            Aragorn choked on his broth before staring at Lina. Legolas handed her the parchment sheet as she unfolded it for everyone to see the sheet. All four of them crowded around the sheet as Lina pulled out another sheet from a pocket in her leggings. Her handwriting was illegible to anyone who wasn't use to her style of writing especially when she was rushed and excited.

            "The code is so simple that a child could do it if they had learned their numbers and letters of the alphabet. The organization is each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding number and the numbers are words or sentences. One is A, two is B and so on. Why the last line is not encrypted, I do not know. But it reads:

            "Travel you must to Annúminas."

            Aragorn flinched slightly when his small headache suddenly doubled in strength. His fingers gently pressed into his temples to ease the tension as everyone listened to Lina speak. The more she spoke the worse the head grew to be. Legolas and Glorfindel listened to Lina speak, not noticing Aragorn's growing distress.

            "Ancient seat of the Kings of Arnor. Find the wall with the symbol. Push and you shall find what you search for."

            Later, Aragorn wouldn't remember screaming in agony but apparently he did. The other three jumped in shock at the pain filled scream as Aragorn pressed his hands against his head. It felt like a white-hot poker was being shoved into his brain and scrambled whatever remained. He curled into fetal position as stars exploded in his vision and his head felt like it was about to explode. Behind his closed eyes, he saw the crumbled ruins of Sauros' lair at Annúminas. A large statue loomed in front of him and he saw a hand reach out and push up the statue's extended arm. To his left, a large section of a stonewall pulled in and slid to the side to reveal a dark pathway leading down into the ground. Torches were suddenly lit leading down to the earth, illuminated the stonewall and long stone hallways. He could barely hear Legolas and the others yelling at him just before a hand grabbed onto his bare arm.

            Legolas gasped as images and pain filled his brain and he was dropped into a place he didn't recognize. The stonewall was around him as he looked up at the large figure in front of him. His fingers dug into his scalp as the images were seared into his brain and he cried out in horror. The figure was a large dragon, larger than Sauros or any other dragon he has ever seen. The dragon was a midnight black with red streaks that upon a closer look revealed that they were scars that were colored bright red. Red streaks marred the black head and the red eyes glinted with malicious intent as he tipped forward to look closer at Legolas. Legolas whimpered as a deep voice echoed in his brain. '_No one can slay one under Sauron's reign. No one.'_

            Glorfindel and Lina stepped back as Legolas grabbed Aragorn's arm and suddenly fell to the ground in pain beside his friend. Legolas suddenly whimpered as if in pain as a look of pure fear streaked across his face. Lina grabbed her bow and pressed it under Legolas' hand to try and pry it loose from Aragorn's arm. In her haste and struggles, the bowstring sliced into Legolas' palm before his hand finally came loose and he fell back from the other human. Glorfindel caught him and hissed slightly in pain when his collarbone protested to the sudden weight of the other elf. Legolas' breathing was shallow and uneven as Lina fell next to Aragorn and lifted his eyelids before quickly checking him over. Glorfindel did the same for the elf of Mirkwood and found him to only be unconscious and only wounded on his hand from Lina's bow. Picking up Legolas' hand, Glorfindel pressed the bottom on his tunic into his palm to staunch the blood from his palm.

            "How is Legolas?" Lina asked as she checked Aragorn's previous wounds to be sure that none reopened.

            "He is unconscious and his palm is bleeding badly but otherwise fine. What happened?" Glorfindel asked and moved Legolas so he could lie comfortably against the Rivendell elf.

            "The words must have triggered something in Aragorn. Has he had any odd problems before we met with you two?" she asked and Glorfindel nodded before telling her of the incident the first night.

            Lina nodded and moved over towards Legolas to check him before sighing. "It must be connected somehow. When Legolas touched Aragorn it seemed as if Legolas suddenly suffered from the same thing that affected Aragorn. It was if it was transferred through contact. Now what 'it' was or is, I do not know."

            Glorfindel muttered something under his breath and Lina leaned closer to pick up on it. "I am sorry; I do not have the ears of an elf. I did not hear what you muttered under your breath."

            Glorfindel rolled his eyes before taking a deep breath and looking at her. "Everyone who has traveled with Legolas and Aragorn has noticed that the two tend to…attract trouble wherever they go. This is starting off like all their other adventures that I have heard about when they come back to Imladris. Legolas is usually dragging Aragorn back for healing or it is swapped with Aragorn dragging Legolas back for healing or they are dragging each other back or neither of them is walking and someone else is dragging them back through the gates. Lord Elrond, Estel's father, would become frantic because they would have contracted some rare disease that no one else has heard of and the plant to cure it is realms away. And then the story would be so far-fetched and unbelievable that it had to happen to them and it only happens to them because there would be no way that they could have imagined or dreamed it up," he went on and finally noticed Lina waving at him. "Yes?"

            "Lord Glorfindel…you are babbling," she smiled and tried not to laugh.

            Glorfindel thought through what he said and his shoulders dropped when he realized that he was babbling. He couldn't believe that he had babbled. Lord Glorfindel, Balrog slayer, brave and fearless warrior, mentor and trainer of the sons of Elrond, was babbling. Despite being close friends with Elrond, the elf lord would have been laughing hysterically at his advisor. He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed deeply. He knew he should have begged out of this assignment from his lord; he knew what was coming over the horizon. It was Estel, son of Elrond; it would be phenomenal if he went on a trip without becoming injured or deathly ill. Why would this trip be any different from those other ones? Just because Lord Glorfindel traveled with them wouldn't change their luck or bad luck, whichever way you wanted to look at it. He looked at Lina as she looked at him, worried. She probably thought that he was losing his mind and, before this trip was over, he would probably be agreeing with her.

            "Am I to assume that once Aragorn is well, we will travel to Annúminas?" Lina asked, interrupting Glorfindel's train of thought.

            "Probably, if I know Aragorn and Legolas. And I will be forced to escort them; rather do that than travel back to Imladris alone and tell Lord Elrond what happened," Glorfindel said dryly and gave a un-elf-like shriek of terror to himself.

            He would rather face another Balrog instead of face the lord of Rivendell and tell him that his sons and his friend had gone off on some wild adventure that would surely get themselves injured and possibly killed. Lord Elrond would unintentionally take his frustration and worry out on his poor advisor so Glorfindel was effectively stuck between a rock and hard place and both sides would probably get him at least ten bruises. If he went with Aragorn and Legolas then he was sure that he would be injured or beaten or shot with an arrow or cursed with some vague spell; if he went back to Imladris then he would get his bruises from running into walls to escape Elrond's wrath and 'looks' and attempting to stay out of the elf-lord's war path. Damned if he did, damned if he did not. Why couldn't his life be easy?

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_MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!_ I hope everyone has a marvelous holiday and this is going out as a Christmas present to everyone. This chapter came out just about as quickly as the other did and I am pleased beyond comparison with this chapter and this story. Please review for me, it leaves little presents in my inbox that I love getting. This is a really short author's note, I know.

**_Deana- _**Oh wow, I will have to find the song and actually hear it. Astievia told me of the quote a few chapters ago and I slipped it right in there. I read the lyrics so now I have to hear the actual song.

**_Gwyn_****_- _You know I have a good friend at college named Gwyn, probably not the same spelling but every time I see your name I think of her. Hope this was enough Leggy angst to hold you over for now. I will have LOTS of Leggy angst later on in the story.**

**_Dha_****_-Gal- _*blushing* Aw shucks, you do not mean that. I will ask my mother to get me some when she goes to the store again. I NEED MY SKITTLES!!!! Heehee, so anyway, thank you to one of my betanators! Very cute term. And be quiet about my addiction, I am looking into going into skittle rehab.**

**_Star-Stallion- _**Oh yeah, I am at my writing height during the night time hours. I was talking to another one of my reviewers and she asked what I wanted for Christmas and I said Orlando Bloom with a big red bow under my tree. Yeah, my brain and fingers were loose when I wrote that. I plead the fifth.

**_Elvendancer_****_- _I have read the Harry Potter books but I just could not get into them that well. Yeah, they were a good read but that is about all. I can believe in elves and hobbits and such but I just can not imagine flying broomsticks and the like.**

**_Bill the Pony2- _**Here is the real Christmas present. *holds out chapter* Enjoy!

**_Roccovende_****_- _*holds hand to face* Oh the horror of it all. Thank you very much for the compliments. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others and that the story will surpass 'Unspoken Words'.**

**_Astievia_****_- _Well whoever sang it, I loved it. Thank you very much for the compliment.**

**_Shaz1- _**Well thank you very much. You are just making me blush unbearable now. It does kick ass, very much. And a Merry Christmas to you.

**_Lauren- _**I changed the Lorien comment; I blanked out and thought that Glorfindel was from Lorien for a moment. I do not know why but I did. Loved your comments about the chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

            Lina glanced over at Glorfindel and actually started to worry about the elf lord. He kept mumbling things to himself and she was starting to think that he was losing his mind; the fact that he had a slight twitch at the corner of his eye was also a give away. She knelt next to Aragorn and gently dabbed his forehead with a cool damp cloth. Neither he nor Legolas had woken yet from their 'encounter', if you so wished to call it that. Moving closer to him, she pressed her fingers into his neck to feel his pulse and jerked her hand back when he flinched away from her. His eyes slowly flickered open and focused on her face before frowning at her smiling face. Instead of saying something, his eyes wandered around to look around her and find someone or something.

            "Where is Legolas?" he asked and started to sit up.

            "He is still unconscious but fine. Do you feel well enough to be getting up?" she asked as he moved to stand.

            "Yes, I am well enough to be getting up. I do not need to wait for your permission," he snapped and she cast a look over to Glorfindel.

            The golden haired elf nodded to her and she stood to walk away from the men and get some fresh air. She had no desire to sit around and watch men try to prove themselves to a woman and that they didn't feel pain. There were things more important and demanding of her time. Aragorn watched her go before moving slowly towards Legolas and Glorfindel at the opposite side of the camp. He carefully knelt on his good leg and quickly checked Legolas over himself. Picking up the unconscious elf's hand, he unwound the bandages and inspected the slash on his palm that was sutured.

            "What happened here to him?" he asked before rewrapping it.

            "Lina's bow. When Legolas touched you, he seemed to be pulled into whatever happened to you and both of you were in pain. Knowing what might have happened if we touched you; Lina grabbed her bow and pried Legolas' hand off you to possibly stop whatever it was. What happened Strider? You screamed as if in pure agony."

            "Another vision; like my nightmares. It was like white-hot poker being shoved into my brain and slowly being twisted around. It showed me Annúminas, where Sauros use to call his home. There was a crumpled statue of one of the old kings, I pushed up the left arm and a doorway in a solid wall to my left moved to reveal a set of stairs leading into the earth. The pathway leading into the earth was dark and dank but torches along the walkway were lit; they were lit by themselves, no one was near. I felt unbearable pain while seeing all of this and then I felt someone grip my arm and the vision stopped. I believe that was when I lost consciousness," Aragorn replied as he tried to remember everything he saw and piece it together to actually mean something.

            "That must have been the point that I touched you."

            Both looked down shocked at the elf between them as Legolas slowly opened his eyes to look at them. Surprisingly, his head felt almost numb as he rolled over and pressed his hands into the ground to lift his body up. Holding up a hand to hold off any help, he shook his head and cleared his slightly blurred vision. Flinching at the pain in his hand, he lifted it and looked at the cloth wrapped around his hand and decided to find out about that at a later time. The other two watched him worriedly as he reached for a water pouch and took a sip of water before sitting down across from the other two. He looked at Aragorn and the two stared at each for a moment as if they held a small conversation between them. Glorfindel rolled his eyes and was about to go and find Lina just as Legolas sighed and dropped his gaze.

            "I assume that you did not see what I saw when I touched you?" he asked and Aragorn told him again what he told Glorfindel a few minutes prior.

            "And then I felt you touch me. What did you see?" the human asked quietly.

            Legolas' entire body shuddered and it was caught by both of his friends before he sighed. He still felt the fear that almost consumed him when he looked upon that black-scaled dragon with the burning red eyes; the eyes that pooled like freshly spilt blood. The same eyes that held no compassion or kindness for anyone except himself. The dragon's words echoed clearly in his head as he shuddered again in spite of himself and the tight control he had over his body. Aragorn reached out and gently grasped his friend's shoulder and felt the minute trembling in the elf's frame.

            "Legolas?" he asked quietly and moved to sit closer to the elf.

            "I was in a dark stone pathway and there was something standing in front of me. It was a dragon, a huge dragon; bigger than Sauros or Kore or any of the other dragons. He had midnight black scales and he was adorned with scars, bright red scars almost like blood. His eyes were blood red, like the freshest blood that I have ever seen.

            "He looked hungry and it was not the normal kind of hunger he possessed. He lusted for blood and flesh that only a fresh kill could give him. He enjoys witnessing pain and death; he enjoys inflicting it onto the poor souls that cross his paths. Sauron has reign over him, he told me so. He said it in my mind to me before the vision was broken apart. He said: '_No one can slay one under Sauron's reign. No one.' I have never felt such fear in my life, it almost seemed to freeze me in my very steps and I could not move to defend myself. I can still hear him in my mind repeating those words and I cannot get him out; I still feel his evil, it is everywhere. I feel trapped and the evil is about to consume me," he rambled and started to get a bit frantic._

            Aragorn reached out and grabbed Legolas' shoulders to shake him a bit. Moving directly into the elf's line of sight, he grasped the sides of his head and looked directly into the elf's eyes. In response to his grip, Legolas grabbed his bent arms and tightened his grip almost painfully to cause the Ranger to flinch to himself. Aragorn was worried that Legolas was falling into a panic attack, which though very rare now, could sometimes be debilitating.

            "Look at me Legolas. Look me in the eyes and calm down. Just breathe mellonin, just breathe and look me in the eyes," he said softly, yet with a commanding voice.

            Legolas locked gazes with him and tried to follow his directions as he breathed deeply and looked deeper into the Ranger's gray eyes. The calming gray eyes held understanding and comfort as his breathing slowed even more until it finally reached the normal rhythm. His muscles relaxed as he slumped against the human and broke the gaze. Aragorn glanced over to Glorfindel and the other elf nodded before moving towards the fire to fix Legolas a mild sedative. Legolas closed his eyes tiredly and again cursed the weakness that Tharbad instilled in him. He could no longer get near any type of closed in area without feeling his heart rate speed up and a slight sheen of sweat to appear on his brow. Aragorn said that with time and work, the fear would fade and he would conquer it completely. In the vision, he was underground, and compounded with the fear of the dragon it was almost overwhelming and he was now suffering from it. His muscles felt tight and sore from being tightened so mercilessly so quickly and quivering nonstop. Feeling Aragorn move slightly, he looked up as the human held a cup for him and ordered him to drink. Shooting Aragorn a scathing glare, he obediently drank the cup empty and a few seconds later felt the numbness spreading throughout his entire body. Aragorn watched as the elf's eyes blinked slightly and relaxed into a half-lidded gaze and his eyes became unfocused as the drugs took affect. Sighing to himself, Aragorn recruited Glorfindel's help and moved the elf into a more comfortable position as Aragorn sat next to the elf. Stretching his legs out in front of him, Aragorn looked up at Glorfindel and smiled tiredly.

            "Are you having fun yet Glor?"

            Glorfindel glared at him without speaking and turned to go and find Lina. Probably the sanest one out of the group, he imagined and stepped out into the bright sunshine. His sensitive ears heard her talking to the horses off towards the right near the trees. Walking silently in that direction, he finally found her rubbing her hand down her horse's side while softly murmuring to him. Her hand ran down one of the horse's legs and he obediently lifted it to allow her to clean away the dirt and inspect the bottom of his hoof. When she set it back on the ground, her horse reached around and nudged her with his snout and put her off balance. Stumbling forward a bit, she turned and placed her hands on her hips as she glared at the horse that was trying to look innocent. The task was hard to do seeing how the horse looked like the cat with a few feathers sticking out of his mouth from the poor bird that meet an untimely death. Glorfindel laughed as he neared the two and Lina looked over at him before turning her gaze back to the horse.

            "He enjoys joking around with you," Glorfindel offered and reached out to gently rub the horse's nose.

            "Great, I have a horse with a killer sense of humor," she said dryly before the horse stepped closer and pressed his head against her body. "But I do love him."

            She rubbed her hands up and down his large cheeks before rubbing behind his ears with a smile. Glorfindel laughed again when the horse's tongue lolled out and he was suddenly reminded of a dog. His own horse moved over next to him upon hearing his master's laugh and wanted some attention of his own. The two spent some time spoiling their horses before Lina looked back towards camp with a slight frown.

            "What is troubling you, young Lina?" Glorfindel asked as he ran a hand over his horse's withers.

            "I am just worried about those two up there. Do they really get into as much trouble as you say they do? Pardon my insolence, but it seems kind of farfetched."

            Glorfindel sighed and remembered a time when he thought the same thing. He knew very well what Elladan and Elrohir could get into but nothing could have prepared him for traveling with Legolas and Aragorn. They were forever pushing the bar higher at how injured they could get themselves. He never would have believed it until he went on a hunting trip with all the sons of Elrond and the prince of Mirkwood. That incident had made him wary of any trips that he went on with those four and to always pack an excessive amount of bandages and herbs and any other healing item that anyone could possibly think of needing. And the scariest part of it all…he knew that it could always get worse. He didn't want to know how it could, but he knew it could. It always happened. One incident, he had made the fatal error of thinking that it couldn't get any worse and just when he finished thinking it; it did get worse, much worse.

            "Lina, believe me when I tell you that I once thought the same way as you. That there was no way that two people could find that much trouble and get themselves that injured and still venture outside of their houses. Somehow, they always find a cave that looks sturdy but then they get in and it collapses. If they are near a river, one of them will fall in and almost drown. If there are arrows being shot at them, one will always be hit with it and it will always have some poison on it. If there is some evil elf or evil human or evil dwarf or any other evil thing out there, Legolas and Estel will probably have their run in with them and either one or both of them will be tortured. It has almost become a fact of life and every one of Mirkwood and Imladris has accepted it. There has still not been a time when both of them have walked home unaided and uninjured; and to be honest with you, I do not think that it will ever happen."

            Lina raised her eyebrows at the golden haired elf and slowly nodded. "I understand now. And my best bet would be to keep a few feet between them and me?"

            "I would more than likely advise to keep a few realms between you and them. Valar, knows that I am thinking about it. I should have traveled to Lothlorien to escape this. But I was hoping that since I was traveling with just Estel that everything would be okay but no. We had to run into Legolas and now the trouble is just going to migrate towards us even more."

            Lina noticed that the elf was actually very serious and started to laugh before she could stop herself. The whole concept just sounded outrageous to her but she had a good feeling that he wasn't joking to amuse her. She looked up and focused on the person walking towards the two of them before realizing that it was Aragorn as her laughing slowed and stopped. Her gaze dropped to her horse before looking up at the man as he stopped in front of Glorfindel and her.

            "When Legolas awakens we will ride for Annúminas which should be in about two or three hours," Aragorn said looking at Glorfindel.

            Lina raised her eyebrows at him and stepped a little closer to be sure that Aragorn saw her. For some reason, she suddenly got the feeling that he didn't like her very much or held a very low opinion of her and she had no idea where he may have gotten it from. Pulling herself up a bit taller, her eyes narrowed and she pulled out the look that all women came with.

            "How long will the ride be then?" she asked and his gaze finally turned to her.

            "It does not matter, because you are not going," he said and turned to start walking back towards the camp.

            Lina's jaw dropped in shock before she ran after him and stood in front of him to stop his pace. She really didn't care how injured he was, she was not going to allow him to walk over her like some rug in someone's house to wipe his feet on.

            "I am not going? I beg your pardon, did I hear you correctly? You did not just give me that order," she said still partially shocked.

            "Yes I did. I will not allow a woman to travel with us and slow us up and possibly get herself injured. We can not take the risk," he said and sidestepped her to continue on his way.

            "Slow you up? I beg to differ hon. I do not care who in Arda you think you are but you have no right to give me orders as if we are in some army. I am traveling with you to Annúminas whether you like it or not. You will need the extra help if I am to believe everything that I have heard and seen," she snapped and poked his chest.

            She realized how silly the scene might have seemed to anyone that was watching. He was a good foot taller than her and her she was poking him in the chest and yelling at him. She didn't know if her brother would fall over laughing, encourage her, or tell her to back off. Hopefully, he would be encouraging her and laughing while she yelled at the future king of men. But then again.

            "Do you know who I am?" Aragorn asked and pulled himself up to his full height and virtually towered over her.

            "Actually, yes I do, and to be honest, I really do not give an orc's ass. Even Manwë himself and the other six of the Valar needed someone there to tell them to shove something up their ass when the time called for it. You may be destined to become the king of men but you still have a lot to learn about dealing with people one on one. And learn to accept help when you need it, even if it is from the most unlikely source," Lina sneered as her eyes flashed dangerously.

            Aragorn held his ground and stared the young woman in the eyes. He couldn't believe that he was getting a lecture from a baby about things that she had no clue about. Glorfindel stood off to the side trying to stay out of the argument but was ready to jump in if the need arose and he would have to pull the two apart. Personally, he thought that it would better if Lina stayed with them while they traveled towards Annúminas but that was his thought and he doubted if Aragorn would appreciate him putting in his two shillings.

            "If this lecture is over with, you had better be on your way. It is a long ride to a safe town before night falls and I would hate for you to be alone after dark without protection," Aragorn said simply.

            Lina growled and spun on her heel as she marched towards the camp to collect her few things. Rolling up her satchel of herbs, she checked Legolas' palm once more before walking towards the two again. Her small pack held everything she carried with her and all that she would need; her quiver was filled and her blades ready with her bow across her back. Whistling for her horse, she swung the small pack over the horse's withers and mounted quickly before looking down to Glorfindel. In his eyes, she saw a plead for forgiveness and she smiled sadly at him.

            "It has been a pleasure Lord Glorfindel and I imagine that I would have enjoyed traveling with you but it seems like I am being sent away like an insolent child. Keep Legolas' palm clean and it should be healed in two days time," she said and he nodded before bidding her farewell.

            Lina turned and glared at Aragorn before spinning her horse and swinging her cloak over her shoulders. The horse cantered smoothly off into the forest leaving the two alone in the small clearing that the horses used to graze. Glorfindel watched until she disappeared before turning to look at Aragorn. He looked back and the elf allowed the disapproval to show in his eyes before he turned and walked to where Legolas rested. He knew that Aragorn was a grown man and that he couldn't tell him what to do but he felt that sending Lina away was a bad idea.

            Lina sat astride her horse as he cantered away and she held her head high even though her eyes were burning. She couldn't believe that he sent her away just because she was a woman and young. The mere thought made her blood boil with anger and the anger transferred to her horse as he snorted in agitation. Casting a look down at her mount, she slowed the horse to walk and breathed deeply to calm herself. Her horse stopped and his head turned around to look at her and she looked back.

            "What?" she asked when the horse's gaze turned accusing.

            He gently bit her foot before looking back at her. Lina would have been the first person to admit that she had a special bond with her horse. She liked to think that the horse was what she might have acted like if she was a horse. Stupid thought, she knew, but it was the truth. She and the horse were so alike it was almost frightening.

            "You heard what he told me. He does not want or need my help, he is a big man. He does not need the help or aid of a woman; or no, forbid the idea that a woman might be a warrior and a healer and actually know how to handle herself. Oh the horror of it!" she snapped angrily and swung off her horse to pace in front of the animal.

            The horse watched her and she actually believed that he was listening and was attempting to answer her. Stopping her pacing, she looked the horse in the eyes and the two stood there for a few minutes in silence.

            "You think they will get into trouble," she said and the horse nodded. "You want to trail them."

            Once again the horse nodded and Lina threw up her hands before starting to pace again. Should she trail or not? She had no doubt that they could trail them and no one would notice; she was very confident of her stealth and tracking skills. Maybe let them get one day's head start and she would follow the signs they left behind. She had nothing else to do or occupy her time and besides, she was intrigued by this mystery. Stopping, she looked over at the horse and raised her eyebrows as she crossed her arms across her chest.

            "It would be fun," she mused and the horse neighed.

            Knowing her mind was made up; she smiled brightly and swung up onto the horse to turn him back in the direction they came from. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and urged her horse towards the camp again but at enough distance that the elves couldn't detect her.

            "To trail it is then and Valar be damned if we get caught."

            The horse neighed and tossed up his head as they trotted along. Lina started to work out in her mind how she was going to do this. Very carefully.

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And here is the new chapter. I love being home on the holidays and not having a damn thing to do. I have so much time to sleep and work on my story. Well I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as the others and are enjoying this story so far. I know I am, personally.

I hope everyone had a marvelous Christmas and will have an even better New Years. I hope everyone has a special someone to kiss when the ball reaches Zero. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

**_Dha_****_-Gal- _Bravo! You remembered where you saw this chapter before. Anyway, I do not know if it is a good idea to give me skittles. It is sugar and I can get into trouble with sugar when I get all hyper and all that fun stuff. But who cares? Well, my parents will when I start to run around the house and tormenting my big brother and the cats and everyone is looking at me like I just grew a second head. It has happened before; I mean running around the house and tormenting my brother and cats, not the head thing. Yeah, I am going to shut up now.**

**_Deana- _**Thank you very much for the compliment. Everyone just loves angst, everyone needs angst. I think it should be put in the food pyramid with a warning: "The constant intake of angst may cause serious problems to your health, like: shortness of breath, crying, the desire to strangle the author, outbursts of random yelling at computer screen. Please take caution when reading angst stories."

**_Elven_****_ Kitten- _It is okay, everyone is allowed to miss reviewing one chapter; just as long as you leave a long review for the next chapter. And that I receive a note from your parents excusing you from failing to review the last chapter; really, that is all. I think it is time for me to go back to sleep.**

**_Roccovende_****_- _I thought it would be a nice Christmas present. I do not understand patience; I never leaned it in my vocabulary. With the code it is kind of what you mentioned. I have the same affliction: give me a simple fraction or decimal problem and I will take me three hours to do it but give me a calculus problem or physics and I will finish it in five minutes. They were looking for a difficult code when instead it was a very simple one. This dragon is not going to be good news but he really will not 'show up' until a while. He is only a walk-on character, has one scene and that is about it. Well in relation to Draco and 'Dragonheart'; I watched the movie and during the movie I got the idea of a story with a dragon in it and I was like: "Hey, that would be cool." So I started to work on the story and Sauros took after Draco a bit but then I started to work on him and he became really my dragon. And I did take a line from the movie for 'Unspoken Words' so I will tell that right now. And I am so disappointed, I did not get Orlando Bloom under my tree for my present, but I will get over it. I hope.**

**_Legalady_****_- _You are going to get both chapters response in this one. Well thank you very much for the compliment, I hope this story is enjoyable to everyone who reads it. And I am very humbled to say that I have read Cassia's stories, the first one I ever read of hers was: 'Change of Heart, Change of Mind' and that was when I first started reading the LotR stories and before I actually started writing so it was a really long time ago. I love the line: "update soon or else," that is just hilarious to me. I love getting threats on the reviews about my story after I leave a cliff hanger chapter. Kind of morbid, I know; but the death threats really keep me going and make me happy.**

**_Astievia_****_- _Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year! Heehee, tis the season to be jolly. I think it happens to everyone, Valar forbid if Elrond ever goes somewhere with those two. We will have a crazy elf lord on our hands…two, with Glorfindel, oh, Legolas and Aragorn are in trouble now.**

**_Elvendancer_****_- _I have not seen a single Harry Potter movie; I read the books but have not seen the movies. Do not think myself shorter either. *drops head in shame* Yes, I did one of the 'late night stay up till horrific hours in the morning working on this chapter because I just could not stop and even though I am falling asleep at my keyboard, I am still typing away because I just can not stop' moments. What can I say? I am famous for them and my night crawler tendencies. **

**_Grumpy- _**Lina is just…Lina is just Lina. What can I say about her? She is developing into her own character and becoming quite the little lady, especially after this chapter. Little Lina has an attitude on her does she not? I love her though; her physical description is actually me. I have the spiky hair, well not spiky but short enough that I sleep wrong on it then it will come out spiky in the morning. All of your questions will answered in due time.

**_Bill the Pony2- _**This is going to be classified as a New Year's present, an early one. You are very welcomed and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others.

**_Snow-Glory- _**Being between a rock and a hard place has always been my favorite place. There is one quote (I do not have it with me now, it is down in Charleston at my other place) but it reads: I believe in getting into hot water, I think it keeps you clean. I do not remember who said that but just to put it out there, I do not own this quote! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and a happy holiday to you and a Happy New Year!

**_Star-Stallion- _**I must agree, that was a very bad Jack Sparrow impression. I love that one line that he does in the movie (I have it posted in my room so I can continuously look at it): Me? I'm dishonest and you can always a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest you have to watch out for because you can never tell when they're going to do something incredible…stupid. I just love that line.

**_Lauren- _**I just have to say that I love your little comments during the proofread chapter. And yes, Lina did pull out that bitch mood that resides in all women. I swear when I pull mine out I think everyone runs and hides. It is hilarious actually. I had the same image in my mind, Lina standing about a foot shorter than Aragorn yelling at him while poking him in the chest and backing him up a few steps. Eh gads, I love it.


	9. Chapter 9

            When Legolas awoke and learned of what happened to Lina, he sided more with Glorfindel than with Aragorn on the matter. He had seen first hand how well Lina could defend herself and had no worries about the young woman. Once seeing the dragon in his vision, Legolas discovered that the sight had created a crushing fear in his heart about what was to come. He spoke naught of it to Aragorn or Glorfindel but he felt it pressing in on him as they rode towards their next destination. The shadows he saw were somehow deeper and more intimidating than before and the night almost suffocated him. Despite her tendency to talk constantly, Lina had been a welcomed companion when he traveled with her. She questioned things that he assumed was correct and made him look deeper into the simpler things. Living in Mirkwood, where there were dangers outside the protected inner borders, he had grown accustomed to fighting with a few she-elves. Most were the wives of other warriors and trained to travel with their husbands and go on patrols with them to be closer to their loved ones. There had been a few times when Legolas was amazed at the cunningness and lithe movements that the majority of the she-elves possessed. They were obviously a bit more light-footed and physically lighter then their male counterparts and this allowed them to move quicker than some other male warriors. He would never forget seeing one elf-maiden kill six orcs on her own because one had called her a weakling. Legolas learned to never underestimate a she-elf that knew how to wield a weapon and wield it well and especially one that could be easily ticked off. He would readily admit that seeing Lina kick Aragorn's ass would be interesting; he also wouldn't be able to resist telling Elladan and Elrohir when he meet up with them again. He did realize that Aragorn thought that his pride was injured and taken a bruising when Lina helped save him and provide medical attention. Legolas would have felt the same way if he was in the same position but he saw that Lina was a warrior in her own right. She would never think that anyone she helped was weaker just because he hit a streak of bad luck and got caught in a bad situation. It was probably because she had found Legolas trapped in a net that she had set and had found him in the company of dwarves. Legolas shrugged his shoulders at the idea and turned his attention back to their task.

            He looked up at the sky and cast a wary eye at the darkening sky. His sensitive ears heard thunder a ways away that was slowly getting closer to their location. Glorfindel looked at him and nodded to confirm that he heard it too and that it worried him also. They had been riding hard for two days in hopes to reach the next town and replenish their supplies and their horses were exhausted. Knowing that the town was nearby, they kept pushing to reach the town before nightfall and the storm reached them. It was about thirty minutes later when the rain started in on them and came down in pounding sheets. Legolas cast a wary eye towards the mountain range that they rode along and watched as the water ran down the hillside in small rivers. He pulled his cloak tighter around him and closely watched the back of the human riding ahead of him.

            Aragorn swore vehemently at the weather to himself as he guided his horse around the trees and bushes. He was wet, cold, hungry, and irritated. Irritated at what, he wasn't sure of. He wanted to think that it was because of Lina but he knew it wasn't. True he had snapped at her when he first woke up but that was the side-affects of his pounding headache and his worry for Legolas. He also didn't like it when anyone acted like a mothering hen over him and a female mothering hen was far worse than Legolas, Elladan, Elrohir, or Elrond could ever be. The females just always seemed to be able to see through all his excuses and see what was really paining him; that and they had the female version of Elrond's look which was absolutely horrifying when the look was turned on the poor person who earned it. The fact that she yelled at him and lectured him really didn't help improve his bad attitude so he really wasn't that surprised when she did leave; provably to avoid hurting him. He didn't have anything against women warriors and found that women sometimes came up with better plans then the males do but it still didn't assure him. Countless battles had taught him what could happen to women in a battle situation and the horrors that some endured at the hands of the enemies. Aragorn wanted to spare everyone women that pain and fear and if it meant getting a few of them pissed off at him then that was it. The end justified the means as he heard an army captain say once. So it was really a combination of things that had set him off. He hoped that she had found a safe place to stay and then headed for her home.

            Lina pulled the hood of her cloak further over her face as she easily guided her horse, Anil, through the forest as she followed the horse tracks by eye. The rain had made the ground moist and soft allowing the horses' hoof prints to stand out so following wasn't that hard. She munched on some dried meat as she rode and occasionally looked up in the direction she was riding to ensure that she wasn't following too closely. Her charges had ridden hard for the past two days and she had a feeling she knew why. Three people ate more than one; especially when that one was a female and the three were males. Her supplies were enough to last her for a few more weeks but she knew the others had to replenish before they continued to Annúminas. Their pace hadn't allowed her the luxury of stopping and making a real meal so whenever they did stop; she made enough for at least several days and would pack it away for later. Anil snorted softly and shook his head to sling water everywhere, even managing to get some under Lina's hood.

            Wiping away the few drops of rainwater, she thought what might happen when she caught up with them at Annúminas. She knew Aragorn wouldn't be happy to see her there; Glorfindel would look like he wasn't happy but he would be; she didn't know about Legolas. Frankly, she really didn't care. Perhaps she should just stay away until they actually needed her and then maybe Aragorn wouldn't have enough time to yell at her while they were fighting something. She snorted at that thought, he would probably make the accident of thinking she was an enemy and kill her just in spite of her. Finishing the dried piece of meat, she took a sip of water and shoved the water skin back in her small pack before stopping her motions. Cocking her head to one side and being mindful of not getting water under her hood, she listened closely to what her ears were just picking up. Anil's ears perked up and he also stopped to listen to the distant sound. Suddenly making sense of what she was hearing, she picked up the reins and kicked Anil into a gallop, hoping she wouldn't be too late.

            "Aragorn!" Legolas yelled to catch the human's attention as he stopped his horse.

            Aragorn and Glorfindel continued to ride until they realized that Legolas was not behind them. The pounding rain made it hard to hear even when you were only a few feet from each other. Turning his horse around to face Legolas, Aragorn tuned his ears to the elf's voice to hear him.

            "I think we need to find high ground for the night! This storm is not letting up! We will ride into the town tomorrow morn!"

            "The town is at the bottom of the hill! Just a few more minutes more!" Aragorn yelled in reply. "We can find dry accommodations there and rest!"

            He turned his horse and urged the beast on as the other two followed reluctantly. Legolas and Glorfindel cast worried looks at each other and followed the human as he led them along the path. Legolas shook his head in frustration and finally decided to set his foot down when his horse slipped in the mud. Stopping his horse, he yelled for Aragorn and waited as the human turned his horse.

            "The footing is getting too treacherous Aragorn! We have to find someplace to wait this out!" Legolas yelled as he glanced around.

            "I agree, Aragorn! We should find high ground and wait this storm out!" Glorfindel yelled as his ears picked up a disturbing sound.

            None of them could say anything quick enough to warn the others as a dark wall of something swept towards Legolas. The horses neighed shrilly in freight and almost unseated their riders as several of the trees farther up on the hill crashed to the ground. Aragorn saw what it was too late and quickly followed the path it was taking to gasp in horror.

            "Legolas! Move!"

            The elf's gaze snapped up hill as a mountain of mud crashed towards him. The relentless and pounding rain had apparently been too much for the small mountains and had started a massive mudslide. The three unlucky travelers had been unlucky enough to stop directly in its estimated path, especially one of the travelers. The ground under Legolas' horse suddenly gave away and slid down the slope as the animal scrambled to find a purchase and stay upright. Legolas could do nothing except clutch to the horse's mane and try to not upset his horse's balance. Aragorn and Glorfindel struggled to control their horses as they tried to turn and run. Aragon watched horrified as another wave rushed towards Legolas and succeeded in knocked the horse off his feet and catapulting the elf into the raging mud. The last sight Aragorn had of his friend was the elf's wide and shocked eyes before he plunged into the mixture of freezing water and thick mud. Aragorn's wide eyes stared at the spot where Legolas landed and expected the elf to emerge while only one thought ran through his mind.

            'This is all my fault.' And he knew it was true.

            Lina urged Anil faster through the forest until she saw the raging river of mud. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Glorfindel trying to pull Aragorn away from the widening river. She didn't see Legolas with them and the look that Aragorn was giving the river told her that the elf had been unlucky to be caught in the spectacle of nature. Galloping Anil along the edge, she searched for anything that resembled the fair-haired archer. Up ahead she saw Legolas' horse standing at the opposite edge of the river with his head sagging near the ground in exhaustion. Not seeing the elf anywhere near the animal, she galloped past and continued to look frantically. Her eyes finally caught the sight of someone holding tightly to a small log and looking like he was about to lose the battle. Remembering something her brother and she once talked about, she scanned the forest floor as she raced along until she caught sight of what she wanted. Stopping Anil, she swung off and strapped all her weapons to the horse along with her cloak and quickly gave him his directions. Anil didn't look too pleased but snorted his compliance and galloped down the way to find higher ground and remain there till she called for him. Picking up the sturdy piece of bark that was about the size of a shield, she climbed up a tree with a branch reaching over the mudflow and crawled out with the piece of bark under her arm.

            Holding the bark tightly, she jumped into the mudslide and used the bark to cushion her fall. She was immediately swept away as she balanced her weight on the piece of bark. Smiling as she got the hang of it, she slowly stood and held her arms out to balance as she started to look for Legolas again. She would have to remember to write her brother and thank him profusely for his idea and tell him the story of how she employed it. She might wait and tell him face to face over a mug of ale or a mug of warmed wine. It would make a great tavern story. The contraption, or piece of bark, moved faster than both of them imagine it would in this type of situation as she swung around the limbs and bit of trees. By leaning her weight to one side, she could make a sharp turn and head directly where she wanted to go. Smiling despite the conditions, she almost laughed at the absurdity of the idea but set her mind to other things when she finally saw Legolas.

            He was struggling to stay above the crushing power of the mudslide as she carefully navigated towards him. The shock of being tossed off his horse had been quickly replaced with an immediate sense of panic when the mudflow swept him away and tossed his body like a rag doll. Branches and rocks had banged into his body and left him gasping in pain and for air. A rock had caught him at the back of his head and left stars in his vision as he felt his grasp on consciousness start to slip. The cold water had left his lower body numbed as well as his fingers and those were vital to keeping him above the mud line. Hearing someone call his name, he looked up without seeing the large branch hurtling towards him.

            Lina gasped as the branch struck the side of his head and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Swerving sharply to the side, she grabbed the back of his tunic just as he slipped from his log and hauled him up. Biting her lip in concentration, she wobbled a bit on the bark before gaining her balance again. Pulling the limp elf into her arms, she held his upper body in front of her and tried to steer the heavily burdened piece of bark. She felt the piece of bark shudder under their combined weight and glanced down to see a crack streak through the length of the wood. Narrowing her eyes, she carefully aimed for dry ground and prayed that the bark would hold till she reached it. It seemed, however, that luck wasn't on her side when the bark snapped in half and sent both of them tumbling head first into the mud. Lina twisted her body and took most of the brunt of the landing to feel several ribs snap in protest of the sudden added weight on her chest. Thankfully, they landed close enough to the edge that the pull of the flow wasn't that powerful and she was able to get her feet under her. Dragging Legolas up the edge and carefully laying him on the ground, she wiped away a glob of mud from her cheek in disgust. Turning towards the forest, she whistled twice sharply and listened for Anil.

            Wrapping an arm around herself to protect the broken rib, she carefully knelt next to Legolas and pushed away the muddy hair. The side of his head was bleeding from where the branch struck him and his breathing was shallow. Gently prying his eyelid open, she noted the dilation and moved to check his heart rate. It was fast but strong and she moved to check him for any other injuries. He was starting to shiver from the combination of cold mud, cold rainwater, and shock but that was about it as Lina looked up at the approaching horse.

            Anil neighed happily as he walked up to his master and nudged her head as she reached for her cloak and small blanket. He was also covered in mud from his chest and down to coat his legs with the thick muck. She quickly checked him for injuries that he may have acquired before shaking her head as a bout of dizziness and exhaustion almost caused her to stumble. The cold was starting to affect her as well as the broken ribs, which were painfully piercing something inside her. Kneeling next to Legolas, she carefully dragged him towards a tree and rested him against the trunk as she arranged the cloak to act like a small tent. Pulling off Legolas' muddy and wet outer tunic and attaching his weapons to Anil, she pulled off her outer clothing and sat behind Legolas under the small tent. Wrapping her arms around him, she wrapped the blanket around the both of them to insulate any warmth while trying not to flinch at her painful rib cage. She pulled a dagger out and held it in one hand that crossed Legolas' chest while the other hand rested above his heart. If there were any changes in his condition, she would feel it as she looked up at Anil.

            "Anil, guard us," she ordered and the horse immediately perked his ears forward at the command and turned his gaze towards the forest.

            Lina smiled tiredly and allowed her eyes to drift shut, knowing that her horse would do what she asked. Horses had more intelligence than most people gave them credit for.

            "I am sure Legolas is fine, Aragorn. He is a strong warrior," Glorfindel stated calmly even though he worried for the younger elf himself.

            He had been shocked to see Legolas be carried away by a mudflow that seemed to come out of nowhere. It had taken him a few minutes to drag Aragorn away from the edge as the flow seemed to get wider and threatened to take away the ground they stood on. After seeing Legolas be swept away, Aragorn hadn't said a word to the Imladris elf and instead he stared at the banks of the mudflow to look for his friend. If Glorfindel could hear what was going on inside the human's head, he would have been shocked at the severity of his lecture to himself. Aragorn knew that if anything happened to his Mirkwood friend that it would be his fault for not stopping when they advised him to do so. His anguished eyes drifted over towards Legolas' horse that they found a few minutes ago. The poor animal was exhausted from his struggles in the mudflow but had been willing to follow the other two just as long as they proceeded slowly. The animal had escaped with a few scrapes and cuts and was surprisingly still sound. Aragorn hoped that the fate of the horse's master was just about the same as the fate of the horse.

            Aragorn scanned the opposite banks while Glorfindel scanned the bank they were on for any signs of their friend. The rain was just starting to let up and nighttime was falling quickly on them as they searched for their friend. Glorfindel's eyes narrowed when he caught movement between a few of the trees a bit up the bank and ahead of them. Moving forward more, he recognized the horse and felt his jaw drop in shock.

            "Aragorn!" he called and urged his horse into a canter towards the movement.

            The human snapped his head around and quickly followed the elf to where he was heading. He met with Glorfindel just as both of them reached the horse that had caught Glorfindel's eye. Aragorn sighed in relief upon seeing Legolas safe, or at least somewhat safe. He cast a cautious eye towards the dagger that was clenched in someone's hand and resting against the elf's chest over the blanket. The other person's head was resting on Legolas' shoulder and the elf's hair effectively covered the person's face. Moving forward silently, he felt Glorfindel grab his arm and jerk him back just a moment before the horse lunged at him with teeth bared. The horse lunged at him again as he scrambled back with Glorfindel's help. Satisfied with the distance the human now had, the horse slowly retreated and stood in front of his two charges to guard them. Anil glared at the two as his ears slowly revolved to listen to the surrounding sounds and for any other dangers.

            "Aragorn, I believe that horse is guarding them. The dagger is for protection, she is not going to harm Legolas," Glorfindel advised softly and held onto the human's arm.

            "Tell me who he is and I will tell you if he intends on harming Legolas," Aragorn ground out and kept his eyes on the two sleeping figures.

            "That is our friend young Lina. I recognize her horse."

            To prove his point, Lina murmured something in her sleep and shifted her head to lean it against the tree. Her face was revealed to both of them and Aragorn swore his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it.

            "Well, I will be damned," he muttered in astonishment.

            "She does have the habit of popping up when we need her does she not?" Glorfindel asked with a faint smile.

            Aragorn looked over darkly to the elf with a faint grimace. "Point well taken, mellonin."

            "Now how do we get by Anil?"

            "That is a very good question," Aragorn mused and eyed the horse warily.

            "Why not just yell at her? That should wake her up."

            "Could not hurt to try. Lina! Lina, wake up!" Aragorn yelled as Anil snorted.

            Lina groaned to herself as someone yelled her name and for her to wake up. Tightening her grip on the body in front of her, she slowly cracked her eyes open just enough to see who was calling for her. The sight that greeted her caused her to immediately start laughing but had to stop when her ribs protested. Glorfindel was up in a tree out of reach from Anil who was currently chasing Aragorn around. The human was ducking behind trees and dodging around bushes in order to stay out of the horse's path. Lina had to assume that they had gotten too close to her and Legolas while they rested and had set Anil off. Combining that with the fact that Anil already had a grudge against Aragorn for ordering Lina away, the horse was probably retracting some revenge for his master. Deciding to call an end to the 'chase', she opened her eyes the rest of the way and sat up.

            "Anil, halt!"

            Anil slid to a stop and spun around to trot to his master with a joyful neigh. He gently lipped the woman's mud-caked hair as she reached up and gently rubbed his nose in her appreciation. Glorfindel slowly climbed down from the tree and looked over at Aragorn as he moved out from behind one large tree. Anil shot the human a dirty look but stayed next to Lina as she carefully extracted herself from behind Legolas.

            "You can come near. He will defend me if I am awake, just shot you dirty looks," she said and knelt in front of Legolas.

            She carefully lifted an eyelid and checked the dilation again before checking his heart rate. Both were the same as before she fell asleep to imply that he hadn't gotten any worse. When Aragorn moved up beside her, she stepped aside and riffled through her pack. Finding a spare tunic, she painfully pulled it over her head and slipped into her cloak as Aragorn checked Legolas over. Aragorn sighed in relief at Legolas' minor injuries. Despite having a nasty headache when he wakes up, the elf would be just fine with rest. He looked over at Lina as she spoke softly to Anil and kept her distance from the others. Glorfindel found a dry tunic in his pack and handed it to Aragorn before holding Legolas up and putting the dry tunic on.

            "We should make for the town now Aragorn before the storm starts again and get them warmed up," he advised softly as he knelt next to the human.

            "I know. Help me with Legolas," he said and moved to lift the archer.

            The two placed Legolas on Aragorn's horse to allow the human to ride behind him and hold him steady. Legolas' horse remained unburdened as Glorfindel mounted his horse and Lina stood next to Anil. She looked up at Aragorn and expected him to tell her to go home. Her tiny hunting adventure was over now that she was forced to reveal herself. There had been the option of leaving Legolas for Aragorn and Glorfindel to find but her annoying little voice wouldn't allow her to do that. It was one of those times that she hated that voice that always made her feel guilty about something or told her to do the right thing.

            "I guess I will be leaving now," she muttered and turned to Anil.

            "I think it would be best if you came with us to the town and got some rest. You must want to get clean," he stated as she looked down at herself.

            Like Legolas, she was covered with mud that didn't get washed off from the rain shower. Her hair was plastered with it and it streaked her skin and clothes. Taking a nice warm bath and getting clean sounded marvelous to her. The disbelief must have shown on her face as Glorfindel chuckled.

            "I think Aragorn is implying that since you will not leave on your own and we can not make you leave that it would be better that you did travel with us on this adventure. I know that I will be greatly relieved. There will be at least two sane people on this little excursion," Glorfindel said as Lina smiled a bit but looked to Aragorn for confirmation.

            The man nodded to her and let a small smile grace his lips as her expression brightened a bit. He would have to remember to apologize to her later when they had all relaxed. Seeing how protective she had been with Legolas and how innovative she could be, he felt a bit more comfortable about having her along.

            Lina looked at Anil and motioned for the horse to knell so she could get on easier. Her ribs and chest were throbbing painfully which took her breath away but she covered her wheezes as best she could. She didn't want Aragorn to think that she was weak and unable to take a bit of pain. Anil knelled and she slipped onto the horse while avoiding Glorfindel's look. Aragorn led the way with Lina behind him and Glorfindel pulling up the rear. She bit the inside of her cheek as every step Anil took sent a sharp lance of pain through her ribs. Her gaze locked onto the approaching town and vowed to stay conscious until she could reach the town and hide in her own room. Just a little further, it's getting closer and closer. Pulling her cloak tighter around her, she slipped off Anil and moved into the inn to pay for two rooms for the night. Her movements were slow and stiff as she paid and went out to the others and followed them to the small barn next to the inn. Taking as deep a breath as she could, she pulled her pack off Anil and carefully showed the horse into his stall. Turning, she didn't notice the stall door to Legolas' horse swing towards her. Apparently the horse had nosed the door open and it was swinging directly towards her chest without her realization. The pack was by her side and did nothing to cushion the hit when the door smacked her flat in her chest and into her ribs.

            Her gasp startled the entire group and horses as she dropped her pack and curled around herself. Stars blazed in her eyesight and sounds roared in her ears as the pain swallowed her whole.

            "Lina?" Glorfindel asked and moved quickly to her side.

            Instead of speaking and trying to hold onto consciousness, she allowed herself to slip into oblivion. Glorfindel's voice echoed in her ears and that was the last thing she heard.

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I can not believe it! I have 84 review for only 8 eight chapters! *squeals and throws confetti up in the air* And I can not believe how long this chapter is! All of you out there in reader land are just amazing; I love you all so much! Still amazes me though, I scroll through the listing of other stories and this one that I have been reading has over a thousand reviews and that just blows me away. I get giddy beyond belief with just a few reviews. I think I would pass out or hyperventilate if I got that many. Or over a hundred, which I am actually very, close to now! Okay, I think I am better now. *squeal!* Okay, it is out of my system now.

Ah, yes! Before I forget! Some of you may have works up on fictionpress.net and I know I do also; mostly poems but they are there. Anyway, I did post a new story of mind on that site under the fantasy category. The main character is our dear Lina and the bloody plot bunny has been running around in my head and my room for several months so I finally put it down on paper and posted the first chapter. The title is 'Pure Blood on Pure Ground' and it is under my normal pen-name of Spades. I would really love it if all of you would go and read it and give me some ideas. I would really like to input and advice if you would like to give it to me.

**_Lauren- _**I needed to remember to tell you this after I got your proofread chapter so I am writing here before I forget. I suggest you read 'Wild Blue Yonder' in the LotR category; it is just along the lines of things that you wanted to see happen in ME. Hope you like it.

**_Ringmarciel_****_- _Oh, meanie fanfiction dot net. But you got to review this chapter! Yippie!**

**_Elvendancer_****_- _Heehee, last night I had a late night working on the story but I stopped myself and went to bed. I finished the chapter the afternoon of the 31st so I did not stay up till all hours of the night as usual. Do you not just hate that feeling? Sometimes I just want to throttle some men thinking that we are weak and can not defend ourselves. But there is kind of a downside to it all. Along with women power have you noticed that chivalry is dying out? Guys are terrified to even open the door for us or help us out of the car in fear that we will pull out that thy think we are the weaker sex. I honestly think that the women before us went a little too far to push for women rights and that we are dependent from the males. But that is the side effects. **

**_Snow-Glory- _**Well thank you so much for the compliment *bows with hand over heart before sweeping it to the side*. You must be one of the Legolas angst fans. I do not think that I will have a flashback but I will have the issue come up eventually later on in the story. I have the idea already planned in my mind, I just have to get there and write it out. Hopefully, Legolas can hold Glorfindel back from killing Aragorn even though I think it would be hilarious.

**_Astievia_****_- _*sighs* I wish I had a horse like Lina's too. Anil is really a combination of a bunch of my horses and their characteristics. Thank you so much.**

**_Roccovende_****_- _I was so disappointed on Christmas morning when I looked under the tree. But, I will suffer through it without him *sighs*. That happens to me quite a lot; I will see that one of my favorite stories is updated and when I try to get to it, it will say 'No such chapter.' I just want to scream and smack my computer. I hear the Scottish accent too and I love it to death. I love Scotland. Go ahead and toss the computer out of the window, it would make a lovely crashing noise outside.**

**_Grumpy- _**Yes, poor, poor Glor. Aragorn was just having a really bad day, but the next chapter will be better. He will become our favorite Ranger once more.

**_Dha_****_-Gal- _IT IS DHA!!!!!!!!! Heehee, I am better now. Just a little hyper. It is the bloody skittles! It is perfectly fine if you could not beta it for me; I know and understand that things come up. Aragorn will be back to being his normal self in the next chapter, he was just having a bad day. *notes the Jack Sparrow reference* One of my friends is addicted to Cherry Coke, must be something in the coke.**

**_Gwyn_****_- _Aragorn is human; therefore he is allowed to make errors. At least that is what I tell myself. Aragorn will get over his temporary male chauvinist bastard stint.**

**_Bill the Pony2- _**I swear everyone is just falling in love with Lina who I at first only intended to be a minor character. She is about as stubborn as I am. 

**_Star-Stallion- _**Whenever I talk to my friends from Scotland, I pick up the accent and whenever I talk to my friends from England I start talking with the British accent. It sucks because I can pick up any accent just from hearing it. My family hates it after we watch PotC because I will have the accent for several hours when it ends. *shrugs shoulders* Aragorn will be back to his normal self in the next chapter, have no fear. I am not that good of a writer, believe me. I am Spades and only Spades, no one…savvy love?

**_Elven_****_ Kitten- _Heehee, you could always just forge one. That is what I did in school when I need one. Even forged some with my teachers' signature so I could get into class after the bell rang. I was so bad I know but that made me who I am today. Your review was long enough to make me very happy. **

**_SilverKnight7- _***squeals* A NEW REVIEWER! I just adore new reviewers. I am not a psycho, really I am not. I like skittles but not as much as I do now. Blame it on Dha-Gal, she always gave me skittles when she reviewed for 'Unspoken Words' and we always joked about them until I got my own bag and started to munch on them so now I like them again. I eat the Berry type, not the original. Original is too boring, I like the exotic flavors. Well, look around at the world they live in. There are orcs, spiders, goblins, wargs, bad wizards (not until later but still) and honestly told, if I lived during that time; I would not leave the town unless I knew how to defend myself. I understand how some men could act like the way Aragorn did and the reasons behind the action; but men should not categorize all women as weak and not able to defend themselves. But that is what I think on the subject. Personally, I know that I can kick several guys asses at the same time but that is because that I learned from a marine, know akido, kickboxing, and fencing. I am well prepared for Middle-Earth…yeah bloody right! LOL. Me, in Middle-Earth? Society at large would collapse in a puff of smoke and dust.

**_Legalady_****_- _Wow, you really got under the wire on this one! I was typing up the responses for the chapter and I checked my email to see if I heard back from my other two beta people and there was your review. And another one for 'Unspoken Words' but oh well. I hope that you are feeling better about whatever got you depressed. If you need someone to talk to that is no in the situation, I would be honored to listen. I am a part-time psychologist to all my friends and they say that I am good at it and that I give out good advice on matters. I think that I like the older Lina better; I fully intend to have Elladan and Elrohir come in later and meet up with Lina again for their adventure. Little Lina had that innocence that all children her age seem to grow up with. The older Lina is still young enough to have some of that innocence still but she has matured and seen what really lies out in the world and that not all people are kind hearted. I think I love the older Lina better because she is still young at heart and remembers how to joke around and act young and not stuck-up. **


	10. Chapter 10

            Glorfindel caught Lina and easily swung her into his arms and followed Aragorn through the side door into the inn. Both of them carried their burdens up the stairs and into one of the rooms that was to be their temporary home for the night. Aragorn quickly stripped Legolas out of his wet clothes and changed him into dry clothes before piling a blanket or two on top of the unconscious elf. Checking his friend's head wound once more he turned his attention to Glorfindel and Lina. Stepping across the room, he knelt beside Glorfindel and helped him slip Lina's cloak off to push up her tunic and under tunic to check her wounds. The healer part of Aragorn took over as he evaluated the massive bruises that decorated the right side of Lina's chest. Gently feeling the ribs, he counted two broken and about three bruised while the woman groaned painfully and moved away from his prodding. The broken ones was putting pressure on her right lung and he was surprised that her lung was not punctured. Glorfindel helped him wrap her ribs after he spread a healthy amount of cooling salve over the darkening bruises.

            "I am surprised Strider. For once it is not you who is injured," Glorfindel commented to break the silence as Aragorn passed a hand over his face in exhaustion.

            "Aye. It is a surprise," he mumbled as he stared at the wood floor.

            Glorfindel leaned closer to Aragorn and tried to look through the man's dark locks that hung around his face. The elf did not like the sound of the human's voice and the slump of his shoulders spoke more than physical exhaustion. The elf gently grasped Aragorn's shoulder and squeezed lightly as the Ranger slowly looked up. Aragorn's eyes held nothing but anguish and guilt that almost threatened to pour out of the young man. Glorfindel almost smacked himself for not thinking of it sooner; Aragorn would lay the blame all on himself when there was no blame. He should have expected it but he was more worried about Legolas and Lina.

            "Aragorn, what is wrong?" Glorfindel asked worriedly before Aragorn's gaze dropped again to the floor.

            He mumbled something softly, but it was too mumbled and soft for the elf to make anything out.

            "What was that Aragorn? I could not understand you."

            "I almost killed them. I almost got Legolas and Lina killed today and it would have been entirely my fault. If I had stopped when Legolas said to then this would not have happened. They are both injured and I caused it; it is almost as if I took a weapon and injured them myself," Aragorn said with a strange calm that did more to worry Glorfindel more than anything else.

            "Aragon, it was an accident and nothing more. You wished to arrive in town and find dry shelter; no one can blame you for that. You know how much Legolas hates getting wet and truth be told, he did look like a drowned blond rat. It was an accident and we just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Glorfindel advised softly.

            It was at times like these that Aragorn looked more like a scared, young boy instead of the Ranger from the North destined to become the King of Men. Glorfindel knew that a compassionate heart lay in Aragorn's breast and a strong conscious resided in his head. Legolas had the same characteristics and Glorfindel guessed that was probably why Aragorn and he clicked so well together. The two would die for each other if it came down to that, and sometimes it almost did. Their friendship was what the stories of old spoke about; the kind that forged through all types of darkness to find the bright light ahead. Glorfindel knew that a little Elvin blood flowed through Aragorn's veins. The March Warden would not be overly surprised to see Aragorn almost die of heartbreak if Legolas passed away. Their friendship was one that transcended past death and into the afterlife where the other would soon follow or be waiting.

            "Is there something else bothering you Aragorn?" Glorfindel asked quietly as the human sighed.

            "I need to be alone for a bit Glorfindel," he said and stood from his seat and picked up his outer coat.

            Aragorn left the room and walked down the hall before descending the steps to the main room. Rowdy men and harlot women laughed over mugs and tankards of ale unaware and uninterested to the quiet man that took everything in. Spying an empty table at the corner of the room, deep within the shadows, he moved towards it and lowered himself into the darkest of the shadows. The people that did notice him turned their gazes away from the man, realizing that he was a Ranger. One of the women that worked at the tavern set a mug of ale in front of him and hastily retreated. None looked him in the eyes or cast a look towards him; looking would invite a possible confrontation.

            Villagers and townsfolk were wary of new arrivals and even warier of Rangers. Most thought them trouble makers and bringers of bad luck. None of them had a clue what the Rangers did for them and it would stay like that. They heard rumors concerning the heir of Isildur and the Rangers of the North but only a few believed it. The few were usually the elder members of the town or village. The few were the ones that heard stories from their parents, grandparents, and uncles; stories that some day the heir of the throne of Gondor would return to the people when he was needed. Most believed it a folk tale that would never come true. It was a tale to keep the hopes of some alive that the lost king would take his rightful place at the throne and lead the world of men to victory. A victory that was in dire need and want.

            Aragorn glanced down at the Ring of Barahir that glinted on his finger, almost mockingly. He looked around at all the people in the tavern and wondered how he was expected to rule these people as their king. He could not even protect his friends from a simple mudslide; he was plagued by almost nightly nightmares and injured in his sleep. He knew nothing of being a king and ruling a kingdom. His thoughts jumped back to Tharbad and all the events that precipitated there. He couldn't protect his brothers and friend when it came down to it. Legolas was scarred psychologically and could not bear to be in enclosed spaces. Elladan's bodily scars were just fading but Aragorn saw them clearly, bleeding every time he looked at his brother. He saw his blood and his anguish and blame. Blame towards Aragorn and his actions; he caused everything to happen and got them hurt. They had come looking for him and regretted all of it. He saw Legolas' blame and his throat bloody where his throat was slashed open by Aragorn's own hand.

            'What would happen this time?' he wondered. Who would he get killed? Whose blood would be on his hands? Legolas'? Glorfindel's? Young Lina's? A young woman that had trust in him when it was unfounded. He could and would only lead them to pain and possible death. 'What kind of leader was that?' he asked himself. A man who should not be a leader was the answer.

            His hand slowly turned the half empty mug of ale on the table as his gray eyes stared unseeing at the mug. Turning his head slightly, he looked out the dirty window to the starry night and let his mind drift to the three people waiting for him up the stairs. Two were unconscious because of him and the other was probably blaming him even if he said he was not. All following him on blind faith and educated guesses about what the nightmares and visions mean; possibly following him to their death. Could he stand under that burden? Did he want to find out or know if he could?

            His gray eyes hardened as he stood quickly and pretended to not notice how everyone cast a look towards him. No one in the tavern wanted trouble and a Ranger could certainly provide it. He had no intention to making trouble and walked to the small counter were the owner of the tavern stood.

            "Wha kin I do ya' fur stranger?"

            "Fix me up a travel pack; I wish to leave at once."

            The sun was dawning brightly across the land as everything woke to a new day. 

Glorfindel turned to the cot that held Legolas when he heard the elf moan softly. Lina had woken an hour earlier and they had been talking softly ever since. Throughout the night, the elf-lord was tempted to go and search for Aragorn but knew he should not leave the two alone while both were unconscious with no protection. In a strange town, no one could be safe enough when they traveled. Moving out of his chair, Glorfindel knelt next to Legolas' cot and waited until the younger elf's eyes opened and focused on his surroundings. The confusion was momentary until the events from the night before rushed back to him. Glorfindel smiled slightly when he saw the spark of remembrance flicker in his eyes.

            "How are you feeling mellon nin?" he asked quietly as the other elf's gaze turned to him.

            "Like I had an all-night drinking fest with the twins," he joked lightly and moved to sit up.

            Glorfindel moved back while the elf swung his legs to the side of the cot and remained there to let the temporary dizziness pass. His hand crept up to feel the healing wound on the side of his head and flinched when the wound protested to the touch. He nodded to Lina and she waved to him before he quickly glanced around the room and came up empty in his search.

            "Where is Strider?" he asked and stood along with Glorfindel.

            "Last night he said that he needed some time alone and he left. I have not seen him all night. I expect him to walk in any moment so we can start off," Glorfindel stated and realized how lame that sounded, even too himself.

            Legolas' eyes narrowed and Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. "You do not think?"

            Instead of answering, the blond haired archer crossed the room in two strides and pulled the door open. Glorfindel was right behind him with Lina trailing asking what was wrong. The elf headed directly for the barn and threw the door open to have it crash into the wall behind it. His eyes scanned down the stalls and saw three horses that he easily recognized enough. The fourth stall door stood wide open with no horse in it and it was suddenly clear to Legolas what happened. Biting back a snarl, he grabbed the stall door and swung it forcefully to hear it clang sharply into its rightful latch. His gripped the top of the stall door and bowed his head as he controlled his breathing.

            'That infuriating human!' he snarled to himself and struggled to hold himself back from releasing his rage. He should have known that Aragorn would do something like this. That man could gather enough guilt to shock the Ainur; if he could, he would blame the bad weather on himself. He heard heavy-footed steps behind him and turned his head slightly to look at the new arrival from the corner of his eye. It was the inn owner who was looking scared beyond belief as Legolas trapped him with his frozen gaze. Lina grabbed Glorfindel's arm and pushed him towards Legolas while she went to the owner. Glorfindel once again doubted his intelligence on agreeing to come on this trip. He knew how lethal and intense Thranduil's wrath could be and he did not doubt that it passed on to his son. It was very rare when Legolas became enraged, for the elf almost always had a tight control on his emotions. But when he did release it, it was nothing short of a spectacle. Glorfindel pitied the poor fool that was ever on the receiving end of Thranduil's and Legolas' temper and at that moment it seemed that he was going to be the poor fool. Hopefully he could escape with all his limbs still attached and no bodily injured. He doubted it though.

            "Legolas, I am sorry, I should have expected how Aragorn would respond to Lina and you getting injured. Last night we talked about it but I assumed that when he left we had resolved it," he started and readied himself to duck out of the way if something flew towards him.

            "You have nothing to feel sorry for Glorfindel. That infuriating human can create guilt at the snap of his fingers and harbor it for days. It has become much worse since Tharbad," Legolas muttered as Lina walked back into the barn without the owner.

            "He left a note," she said softly and held it out to Glorfindel.

            He unfolded it and scanned it before reading it out loud. "'I can not, in good conscious, allow you to come any further with me. I do not wish for any of you to be injured or killed because of me. Please, do not follow me.'"

            "The owner said that he left earlier last evening, a bit after sun set. He asked for a travel pack and the normal provisions. He is probably furlongs from here by now," she said as Legolas released his hold on the stall door and stood with his back to the other two.

            "Lina, I want you to get your pack together and ride for Rivendell. Bring Elladan and Elrohir with you to Annúminas. I get the feeling that we may need them once we catch up with Aragorn. We will leave you something to tell you where we go next if we are not there. Glorfindel and I will ride after Aragorn and hopefully pound some sense into him once we catch up with him," Legolas said and turned to walk back towards the room.

            "Are you sure that is a good idea, Legolas?" Glorfindel asked as Lina and he followed.

            "If we are to meet with the dragon that I saw in the vision, then we are going to need all the help we can get. Lina, it may be a good idea to also ask Sauros to come with you and the twins."

            "Oh, Elrond is not going to be happy with me. I will have all three of his sons on a wild goose chase," Glorfindel muttered to himself.

            Lina nodded and slipped past Glorfindel to grab her pack and stuff everything in it. Legolas and Glorfindel packed their packs and all three hurried to the stables once grabbing some food from the kitchen. Anil snorted eagerly as Lina led him out of the stables and into the bright sun. The horse could sense the urgency of the group and was eager to help in any way he could.

            "Ride the straightest path that you can and as quickly as physically possible. We may meet on the way to Annúminas and then combine our forces. When you reach Rivendell, be wary in the surrounding woods for the guards. Do not draw your weapon on them or try to slip past them. Some are wary of unknown humans entering the wood of Rivendell," Glorfindel advised to Lina as she mounted Anil carefully, being careful of her tender ribs.

            "Until we meet again," she said to him and nodded to Legolas.

            "Ride safely. I pray you find no problems during you journey," the archer replied quietly.

            Lina nodded and turned Anil before kicking him into a canter to leave town. Her cloak billowed behind her as she disappeared into the trees and lost to the other two's eyes. Legolas and Glorfindel looked at each other before mounting their horses and turned towards the other direction of town and started off. They would ride towards Annúminas and hope to find Aragorn's tracks from his horse when they were a good distance away from the town. If the human was traveling by foot, the task would be harder for the man was extremely hard to track. But Aragorn's horse left prints and droppings, easily tracked by someone who knew the basics of tracking.

            "I find it interesting that Aragorn was unable to make Lina go home and yet you told her to ride towards Rivendell and she went immediately. Why is that?" Glorfindel asked a few minutes into the ride.

            "Perhaps because Lina knew that I trusted her abilities and knew she would not fail," Legolas replied as she shrugged his shoulders and continued to look for horse tracks.

            "How do you know that she will not fail?"

            Legolas looked up and over at Glorfindel with an unreadable expression. He stopped and thought about the question as his horse moved along and finally came to an answer that fit.

            "Lina reminds me of a younger Aragorn. Neither of them knows how to fail and will find a way around a problem if it is called for. They will not give up until death takes them away."

            "I just hope that she is not as stubborn as Estel," Glorfindel muttered and Legolas agreed to that whole-heartedly.

            Lina had ridden as hard as she could and stopped only to rest Anil and herself. She traveled by night but rode slowly so she could pay closer attention to her surroundings. She had been lucky and encountered no orcs or delays during her ride except for the day before she reached where she was now. It had been a week since she parted ways with the others and she was just about to enter the woodened realm of Rivendell by crossing the River Loudwater that marked the realm's south border.

            Anil snorted uncomfortably and shifted under Lina as she stared into the heavily wooded area. Her hand rubbed under his thick mane and soothed the horse as best as she could before sitting back and scanning the darkened treetops from under her hood. Despite Glorfindel's assurances, she was just a tad bit worried about riding into an elven realm without any type of pass, except her word. She carried no sword by her side and only her bow and arrows along with a set of twin blades were with her for protection. Glorfindel had also warned her to not draw any weapons, but she was itching to feel the comforting weight of one of her blades just to sooth her nerves. The nerves came from the close brush with a small troop of orcs the night before that came very close to discovering her. The nerves also came from the fact that she was about to enter an elven realm during the dead of night.

            Shaking her head and taking a deep breath, she nudged Anil into a trot and splashed through the river to enter the forest. Riding just a few yards into the forest, a deer erupted from the brush and startled Lina and Anil. Anil shook his mighty head and snorted again as he pranced in place as Lina calmed her breathing. Unable to stop herself, she reached for one of the blades and held it by her side, immediately feeling safer and more confident. If she encountered elves, then she wouldn't raise the weapon in a threat but slowly slip it back into its small scabbard. Nudging Anil on, they slowly walked East through the deep shadows of night and both human and beast kept their ears tuned to the surrounding forest. Several times Lina stopped Anil and tilted her head to listen closer to the forest and would almost swear that she heard someone. If the elves were allowing her passage then she wasn't one to question why and would urge Anil on again. Why could Glorfindel not come back instead of her? Or Legolas? These Rivendell elves knew them and would not shoot either of them, just her if she sneezed or coughed. The logical part of her brain already knew the answer and it made sense to the logical part, but the part that concerned self-preservation ignored the answer.

            Lina's fingers tightened on the blade's handle as she spun Anil around to face the way she came. She knew she heard something that time and it was not in her imagination. From the corner of her eye she caught slight movement in the trees but was gone by the time she looked towards it.

            "I mean no ill intentions for the residents of Rivendell. I just seek passage and a meeting with Lord Elrond," she called out as she held the blade tightly but relaxed her muscles.

            "The blade you hold contradicts your words."

            "Reveal at least one of you and prove to me that you are an elf and I will put my blade away."

            Lina carefully eyed the surrounding treetops as her other senses reached out around her. Her ears listened behind her for any movement as well as Anil's ears. She took care of the front and he took care of the rear; it was a great arrangement. Anil's ears flicked backwards suddenly and Lina's head soon followed as she looked over her shoulder as she held the blade ready. An elf was crouched on the forest floor and watching her intently as she slowly turned Anil around.

            "My companions have their arrows aimed for your heart traveler; I would not attempt anything if I were you," he said as her eyes narrowed.

            He looked very similar to Glorfindel but she could see a clear difference. The hair was several shades darker blond than Glorfindel's and he held himself differently but possessed the same physical fitness of a warrior.

            "Well, you are not me and I will do as I like…but I will accede this time. I am going to slowly slip my blade back into the scabbard and remove my hood," she said and he nodded.

            Just as she said, she carefully and slowly slipped the blade home and moved to push back the hood with one hand. For a few moments, she sat silently as she held the elf's gaze until he nodded again. Several more elves dropped from the trees and from other hiding places still with their weapons ready.

            "What do you wish to speak with Lord Elrond for?"

            "I just parted company with Lord Glorfindel and Lord Legolas about a week ago and was sent here with a message. I have ridden hard for the past week and my horse needs rest, would you allow me passage and continue on my way?" she asked respectfully.

            "I will, but you must pass over your weapons."

            "If you so wish."

            Lina slowly dismounted before handing everything to the elf. Her double blades, quiver full of arrows, bow, and a few small daggers placed strategically on her person. A girl could never be careful enough in the wilds alone. When she was done, she lifted her cloak and spun in front of him to prove that she held no other weapons before dropping the cloak back to its place. The elf motioned for her to follow him as he started to walk away with Lina following. Anil stayed directly behind her with his snout nudging her lower back occasionally to show his support. Her eyes remained locked to the elf's back as they walked through the woods and she noted that the trees were starting to thin and the grass became more well kept. She took in everything around them as they crossed a stone bridge and she saw the full picture of Rivendell's beauty.

            Elegant vines curled around beams that were in the middle of blossoming. Smooth, soft stone built the walkways and arches that graced the courtyard. The stone benches were empty for the night and most of the visible windows were also dark.  Another elf appeared and bowed to her slightly before motioning towards Anil. Glancing at the horse, Lina motioned for him to follow the elf and watched carefully as he glanced back at her and softly nickered. She motioned again for him to keep going and watched as he disappeared around a corner.

            "Your horse will be well groomed and fed for you, have no worry for him," the elf soldier said and she turned back to him.

            The other elves that escorted her in had disappeared, leaving only her and two other elves; the one that seemed to be the captain and the one that he had handed her weapons over to.

            "Lord Elrond will already have been informed of your arrival and will be waiting for you. I will take you to him and leave you there with your weapons. I must be going back to my patrol."

            "I thank you very much Master Elf for you aide. I admit, I did fear that I would be shot upon entering Rivendell after I crossed the river," she admitted as they walked up a set of stairs and into an airy hallway.

            "If you had posed a threat, then I would have ordered you shot. Do not doubt that."

            Lina raised an eyebrow and decided from then on to just keep her mouth shut and not attempt to make conversation. She decided that elves must not be much into talking about things. She knew that she would not doubt an elf's ability to easily kill her; she was confident, not stupid. She knew that an elf could easily take her in a fair fight but that was why she rarely fought fair. Nothing was deemed illegal in a battle for your life. She used everything within her grasp and ability to be the one that came out alive in the end. Valar knows that sometimes she almost became the one that did not walk away but by some miracle she had walked away. But against this elf that she now followed? Yeah, she would have been lucky to last five minutes.

            The elf knocked on a large set of double doors that were a deep wooden red with intricate designs etched into the wood. Leaves and vines decorated the door that Lina stood in front of her and she knew that she could spend several hours just admiring the craftsmanship of this building.

            "Enter."

///////////////

Eh gads, it took me a while to get this chapter out *pant pant* but here it is and I hope everyone likes it. I did get a warning to be careful and not turn Lina into a Mary-Sue and I will try my damndest to not let this story turn into one. I doubt it will but I will keep my eye on it. This section of the story concerning her is there to allow me to branch off from these stories and maybe write ones containing only Lina and her escapades but we will see how that pans out. So everyone please review for me! Love you all!

YIPPIE! I HAVE ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! *throws confetti* OH VALAR I LOVE ALL MY REVIEWERS OUT THERE THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE! *tightly hugs everyone* CHAMPAGNE ALL AROUND!

**_SilverKnight7- _**Berry flavor is very yummy but I have not been able to find any berry flavor up here at my parent's house. And my bag is down at my other place. It sucks. This chapter answered your question and next chapter will have the twins in it. Have no fear! The twins are here! Oh, please, you are making me blush. No I am not; I am average.

**_Frodo16424-_** Well, thank you very much. Lina is the best; I am just loving her to death and her antics.

**_Gwyn_****_- _That is hilarious! LOL, oh my god that is the best thing I have heard in the past few days. I will have to remember that and use it on some guy friends I know. *wipes away tear from laughter* Eh, gads that was hilarious. Anyway, I am not going to allow Lina to dominate the story; I am putting my foot down. The part in this chapter with her was kind of necessary from where I am looking. That will probably be the only piece on just Lina and no one else. I am being wary.**

**_Ringmarciel_****_- _A very Happy New Year to you too. I hope this chapter satisfies you for your next chapter fix and I will be working hard on the next chapter.**

**_Snow-Glory- _**Did we like Lego-angst? I hope we did! Aragorn and Lina will working well together later on in the story and I am looking forward to writing it. I can not wait till I get to that part! The dragon will come up later on in the story and it will not be welcomed.

**_Star-Stallion- _***blushes* Well, I do not like doing a half-assed job with my writing. It is all the way or no way. Heehee, eh gads, that saying is going to get me into trouble sooner in life. I love the Scottish accent; in the words of the comedian Robin Williams: If you really want a lesson in linguistics, go drinking with a Scotsman. It gets so much worse when they drink. And what are you talking about? I am an average writer; that is it, end of discussion.

**_Cloud-123- _**Can you believe it? I am at 100 reviews! I have not been this happy since…since…well never. Well, I am sure I can think of an instance where I was but not at the moment. Well, thank you very much.

**_Elvendancer_****_- _I have a brother that is four years older than me; we fight like cats and dogs most of the times but he is protective of me also. He hides it though. A Happy New Year to you too and I will try to get more sleep but I doubt it because I am about to head back to school.**

**_Bill the Pony2- _**Anil is just hilarious. I can see him doing all of it: chasing Aragorn, giving him dirty looks, protecting Lina. So lovely.

**_Dha_****_-Gal- _My lovely betanator! *reads the long review before looking up at Dha* Are you okay? I think not so I will back away slowly. Heehee, I love becoming hyper and it is rare when I get out of control with my hyperness. My parents can usually tell because I start to talk extremely fast and no one can understand me and I will pick up an accent that usually is not there. Heehee. (I fixed the fractured/broken thingy just for you! J)**

**_Roccovende_****_- _It is perfectly fine that it takes you a little time to review. I know people have lives. It is just a hurt everyone time at Spades' writer land. It is the best time to visit us. Come on down!**

**_Grumpy- _**I have a marvelous New Year's and you? I hope you had a good one. Lina is a woman; therefore, she had a good amount of pride in herself. It is a curse most of the time, believe me.

**_Elven_****_ Kitten- _I get a penguin! Yeah! I always wanted a penguin! *watches as penguin chases my cats around the house* Never thought Peanut would be afraid of a penguin. Thanks.**

**_Astievia_****_- _I can not believe that I have 100 reviews! It is just phenomenal! *giddily bounces in chair*Well, I do not actually own horses; I ride horses for other people. I am a trainer and shower but not owner. Anil is a compiling of all my favorite horses and their attributes. Your friend's saying is very true. **

**_Legalady_****_- _I have found that I am very bad about writing cliffhangers. Do not know why but I am. Maybe I have read too many books with cliffhanger chapters *shrugs shoulders*. Okay, I was just worried about my reviewer. I love all you guys like my extended family *wipes away tear*.**

**_Lauren- _**It did? Really? Wow, I never thought it came out that well in the words. And have no fear, my brother already thinks I am psycho just because. No real reason; he might still be holding a grudge because I gave him a concussion when I was a toddler. That might be it.

TILL NEXT CHAPTER!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!


	11. Chapter 11

            Glorfindel watched the blonde archer while they rode through the forest, following Aragorn's tracks. It was apparent that the human had moved quickly to put distance between him and his followers. The elven horse had more stamina than normal breeds of horses but it still tired after a long and hard ride. The demanding landscape could take a lot out of the hardiest of horses and men if they were not prepared for it. The weather had stayed pleasant for the summer time and allowed them to move quickly after their 'prey.' At least, that was what Legolas had termed the human. Glorfindel agreed with him that the name was well earned. Legolas would occasionally start to mutter about things that he would do and say to the human once they caught up with him. Some of the things were making Glorfindel cringe and he didn't really realize how creative the young elf could be until that moment. It probably didn't help that Legolas traded ideas with the twins when Estel seemed to actually try and drive everyone crazy. There were countless times that Glorfindel saw the mischievous sparkle in the three elves' eyes as they plotted some prank on the Ranger. Lord Elrond sometimes got that same look and if it was scary in the twins' eyes then it was absolutely terrifying in the Lord's eyes. Looks like those sent chills up Glorfindel's spine and he feared to actually find out what they had planned. He really hated being the referee between them because more often than not, he was the one that became injured and not the other ones that actually started the whole fiasco. Why was he always the unfortunate one?

            They had been riding for a few days and Glorfindel predicted that Lina must have reached Rivendell by now or nearing it. He had no worries that the woman would ride as fast as her horse could carry her and then some more. The twins and she would leave the next day or that day; it depended on when she arrived, but Glorfindel would set his money on the next day.

            "I know what I shall do when we reach him. I shall tie him up to a tree in the dankest, murkiest, most Valar forsaken swamp and leave him there to allow all the bugs and mosquitoes to bite him up. That sounds good," Legolas said as Glorfindel rolled his eyes.

            "Must we go into this Legolas? Yes, I know that you are going to tear into Estel when we meet up."

            "You do not understand Glorfindel. This is at least the tenth time he has done something like this to me. He becomes guilty about some incident that he could not have prevented and then he tries to protect me and tells me to go home. You should have tied him to the bed and kept him here."

            "He would have tried to get away."

            "You should have drugged him or kept him sedated," Legolas muttered and Glorfindel laughed before suddenly stopping his laughter and horse.

            "Legolas, halt. Those are orc tracks. It looks as if they came across Estel's tracks and decided to follow him," Glorfindel said and swung off his horse and knelt beside the tracks.

            "How many?" Legolas asked as he looked down from his horse.

            "It is hard to tell; the tracks are too many for me to be sure. I would say thirty or thirty-five perhaps with a few wargs," he replied and allowed his fingers to drift over the tracks imprinted in the soft dirt.

            Legolas' eyes narrowed as he followed the tracks along the forest floor and didn't see any branching tracks. The tracks proved that the orcs seemed to have picked up Aragorn's trail and continued to follow him. Legolas had the bad feeling that the human had managed to get himself into an impossible position of trouble and danger and would probably need them to get him out. For some reason, it always happened that way.

            "How old are the tracks?" he asked and glanced back to Glorfindel.

            "Six hours at least."

            Legolas nodded as Glorfindel stood to mount his horse before looking over at the prince. Legolas stared off into the forest and weighed the options that presented themselves to him. Thirty-five orcs and a few wargs would be hard for them to kill quickly; elves were good but not that good. And if they had Aragorn captive then it would be harder seeing how they would have to protect Aragorn from the orcs that would use him as a shield or bargaining tool.

            "What are you thinking Glorfindel?" he asked and glanced over at the Rivendell elf.

            "It would be better for us to observe for a day, I would say. You and I cannot take on thirty orcs with wargs amidst them. It would be a suicide mission and you know it."

            Legolas nodded and cast his gaze back to the forest. "I know."

            "Catch up to the group and see if they have Aragorn captured. Then wait for the opportune moment before rescuing Aragorn. If they have not caught him, then pass by and continue after Aragorn," Glorfindel said as they started to follow the tracks again, albeit cautiously.

            "I agree, Glorfindel. Hopefully, if they have captured Aragorn by the time we meet up, the twins and Lina might have arrived by then."

            He glanced over at Glorfindel as the other elf looked at him as they both came to the same conclusion. "Doubt it."

            The elf closed the door behind him to leave Lina alone in the room with the dark-haired elf that sat behind the large desk. His hair was pulled back behind his shoulders as he wrote on several parchment papers without glancing up at the human that stood in his study. He could sense her slight fear and apprehension at the silence but was too respectful to break it first. Elrond had sensed her immediately when she had stepped into his realm and was already in his study by the time he saw the patrol coming into the courtyard with her following. Her weapons sat on the side of the desk he sat at with his papers and documents. He sensed no evil intent around her but he did sense a strange kind of fear; fear not from being surrounded by elves but another fear, one he couldn't place.

            "May I ask why you entered my realm Lady Human?" he asked without glancing up from his papers.

            Before she could answer, the doors opened again without a knock to admit two identical twins into the study. A quick glance told her that it was Elladan and Elrohir and she felt a thrill of excitement upon seeing them again but quickly repressed it. She didn't want to make a complete fool of herself in front of Lord Elrond. The elf lord looked a bit annoyed that his sons had entered without knocking but knew it was better to not admonish them, it wouldn't help any. They glanced at the woman in the study with him before turning back to their father.

            "Has any news come about Estel, ada?" Elladan asked and ignored Elrond's scathing looks.

            "I was just about to ask, Elladan, before you and your brother so kindly interrupted."

            The twins bowed their heads and stepped back a few steps before Elrond turned to Lina again.

            "My question, my lady?"

            "About a week's time ago, I parted company with Lord Glorfindel and Lord Legolas. They departed in the other direction to track Lord Aragorn when he left without telling us from the town we resided in for the night. They sent me back here with specific requests to gather Lord Elladan, Lord Elrohir and Lord Sauros to meet them on their way to Annúminas or at the location. I rode here as quickly as I could and arrived at the borders of your realm earlier this evening and not wishing to wait till morn, I continued into your realm," she replied and kept her back straight and her gaze locked with the elf lords.

            "Why did they request us?" Elrohir asked and Lina turned to him.

            "I believe that they feared that what they were going to encounter would require more help than two elves, one male human and one female human. Lord Legolas had a vision that contained an old dragon that was black as night with blood red scars and blood red eyes. He felt a strong sense of fear and foreboding from the dragon in his vision and worried that they might need aid of Lord Sauros if the other dragon is real," she answered and looked over at the younger twin.

            "Elrohir, please go and find Sauros. He may know something about this other dragon. I am sure that you wish to eat and rest Lady…"

            "My name is Lina, Lord Elrond," she answered and bowed her head to him in respect.

            "Lina from Tharbad?" Elladan asked and turned back to Lina.

            "It is, Lord Elladan. You have not changed a bit," she smiled and laughed as the elf hugged her tightly.

            He lowered her to the ground and they both turned to the window where a large red head appeared. "Greetings Lord Sauros."

            "My dear Lina, so good to see you," the dragon responded with a dragon smile.

            "Sauros, do you know of any dragon that is solid black and has blood red scars and eyes?" Elrond asked the dragon as he stood from his desk.

            Sauros' eyes narrowed and his lips slid into a snarl. Everyone watched him as he turned away from the window and moved away from the building before releasing an ear splitting roar. Several minutes later, dragons descended onto the grassy hill and clustered around Sauros. Aurora, Kore, Nyxe, and Selene were all there while they listened closely to Sauros as he spoke quietly to them. They stopped talking as Sauros nodded his head and the others took flight to the air and flew away in different directions. Sauros stood where he was for a few moments before turning and walking back towards the balcony. His eyes were focused on the ground as he thought through the implications of what the other dragons told him, especially Nyxe.

            "When were you planning on leaving to meet with the others?" he asked and the twins looked at each other and at Lina.

            "Tomorrow morn, once Lina has the chance to rest," Elrohir replied and glanced over at the young woman.

            "It would better if we left now. The others are about to face something that they cannot combat alone. We will fly to them," Sauros said as Elrond stepped forward.

            "Sauros, what are you not telling us?"

            Sauros bowed his head and broke gazes with the elf lord before raising his head again and looking at the elf. His eyes were troubled with concern and something older that the elves did not recognize. It was rare that the dragon was ever concern about anything; he was a dragon, not a lot of things can worry a dragon.

            "The description is of a very old dragon. We all believed him dead but apparently not. He was one of the strongest dragons ever known and just as ruthless. If he is still alive, then we may have some problems."

            "But who is he, Sauros?"

            "He is named Glaurung and he was the very first of the dragons. He was the vanguard of Morgoth's forces during the first age and created an unbelievable amount of destruction for Middle-Earth. He hates all the races of Middle-Earth and would enjoy nothing more then to see them all eradicated."

            "I knew it," Legolas hissed softly from the leafy foliage above the camp below Glorfindel and him.

            The two had finally caught up to the group of orcs, which were either lucky or unlucky that they had captured Aragorn. They had left their horses about a mile behind and walked the rest of the way before taking to the trees. The loud and crude sounds from the creatures of Mordor easily led them to the group that was just stopping for the night. The human rested on the ground with his hands tied behind his back and his feet tied together. His eyes were closed while blood streamed down his face from a vicious cut on his brow. He was breathing shallowly and trying to curl around himself, seeming to try and protect his chest. A random orc lashed out and kicked Aragorn in the gut and the human jerked forward and coughed up blood. Legolas looked over at Glorfindel worriedly before motioning to him to move back and away from the group.

            "You are a better healer than I, Glorfindel. What is your opinion?" Legolas asked while they stayed up in the tree.

            "If he is coughing up blood then it may be something serious, but I can not be sure without checking him over. The fact is that I need to look him over soon or it could turn into a fatal injury."

            "Glorfindel, unless you have forgotten how to count; there are about forty orcs down there and two of us. We are both good warriors but not that good," Legolas said honestly.

            "He might die unless we do something, Legolas," Glorfindel argued quietly and saw the words hit home.

            "What do you suggest we do?"

            "You take as many as you can with your bow from the trees and I will get to Aragorn quickly to protect him and get him out as quickly as I can. You do understand that this may not go over very well, Legolas."

            "I know but we have to try and help him."

            The two looked back towards the group and sighed before splitting and moving to different sides of the camp. They maintained eye contact to be able to signal to each other as Legolas pulled out an arrow and notched it in the bowstring. Glorfindel held his double blades in his hands and readied to jump from the tree branch at Legolas' signal. When he signaled, Glorfindel jumped from his perch and took off two orc heads before touching the ground. The camp jumped into motion as arrows rained upon them from the quick handed archer hiding in the trees. Glorfindel quickly fought his way to stand above Aragorn and guard him against any orcs that got a rare bright idea. His movements were limited to a ten-foot radius around Aragorn's body and he kept to that small area. He was constantly moving in a circle and leaping over Aragorn to get to the other side quickly. His almost frantic movement earned him small cuts and scrapes from not moving away quick enough. He looked over and saw Legolas on the ground with his bow cast aside and he was using his blades for the close contact. A wound on his thigh was bleeding heavily from an orc arrow that was lucky to strike its target. Or it may have been that the orc shot for Legolas' chest and it missed to hit his thigh. Glorfindel would have fallen over laughing if that was the case.

            A while later they soon found each other on opposite sides of Aragorn and the orcs were keeping a circle around them just out of reach of their blades. The fighting had stopped for a moment and everyone was breathing deeply, preparing to lunge and attack.

            "It has been an honor fighting with you, Legolas," Glorfindel commented in the elvish tongue without looking at the elf at his back.

            "Oh Glorfindel, please do not talk like that. We will have many fights ahead of us still along with the human at our feet," Legolas replied as his eyes drifted between the snarling orcs.

            "I doubt it, mellonin."

            "Now!"

            Both lunged and sliced through orcs and the battle started again as the orcs' war cries filled the air. Legolas stayed by Aragorn's body and a stab of fear hit him as the distance between Glorfindel and he started to grow and orcs filled the gap. The arrow piercing his thigh was throbbing mercilessly as an orc boot slammed into it and stars exploded in his vision as his leg almost gave out from under him. Another kick and it did as he fell to one knee and looked up just as an orc blade swept towards his head. Suddenly, the orc jerked a stood still for a moment before falling to the floor dead. The arrow sticking out of his back looked familiar as Legolas looked closer. The fletching looked very similar, just like…the twins! Legolas looked up to the surrounding forest and saw arrows zipping from the shadows to pierce orcs surrounding the two elves and human. Three figures charged from the forest quickly followed by a large shadow that wiped out a group of orcs with one swipe. All the orcs were killed in only a few minutes as Legolas tried to stand. His leg gave out under him and someone caught him before he hit the ground. Looking up, the other elf's dark hair spilled over his face but Legolas recognized Elrohir.

            "Elrohir, I am so glad to see you," he said, relieved to see the Noldor elf.

            "And you also Legolas. I should have known that Aragorn and you would some how meet up," the elf replied and helped Legolas across the camp to Sauros.

            Elladan knelt next to Aragorn while Glorfindel cradled his ribs gently. Aragorn's bonds had been cut and the elder twin was quickly checking over his little brother for injuries. Sauros was keeping an eye on the surrounding dark forest to ensure that no orc that had missed their assault was thinking about trying his luck once again. Elrohir gently lowered Legolas to the ground and carefully looked at the thigh wound, which looked worse than it actually was surprisingly. Glorfindel whistled sharply for their horses and flinched when his ribs protested sharply before sitting down at Lina's insistence.

            "We should be moving away from here soon. Other animals will be attracted by the smell of blood, no matter how foul it may be," Sauros advised and Elrohir nodded.

            "He is right, we must move away from here and camp somewhere to tend these wounds."

            Elladan gently slid his arms under his little brother and gently lifted him into his arms before moving towards Sauros. Glorfindel and Lina rode the two horses with Aragorn's horse following close behind while everyone else rode on Sauros' massive back. They moved through the forest quickly for a few furlongs before stopping amid a thick clumping of trees with a nice clear spot to build a fire and camp. A fire was quickly built and everyone bustled around for healing herbs, food, and blankets.

            Elrohir knelt next to Legolas and looked over his thigh wound again before looking up at the younger elf.

            "Are you ready, Legolas?" he asked and reached for the arrow shaft.

            "Do it," he said and found his bow handle and tightly gripped it.

            Checking that he had a good grip, Elrohir placed his other hand against Legolas' thigh and counted to himself before jerking the arrow free. Legolas' leg jerked under his hand and the elf bit his bottom lip while tightening his grip upon his bow. Tossing the crude arrow onto the ground beside him, Elrohir pressed a clean square of cloth against the wound to stop the bleeding that had restarted from removing the arrow. Holding the cloth tightly to the wound, he looked at the arrow's head and sighed in relief.

            "You were lucky this time, mellonin. There is no poison on the arrow head," he said and lifted the cloth to look at the small wound.

            "Wonderful," Legolas ground out and released his grip on his bow. "How is Estel?"

            Elrohir glanced over at his twin and saw him looking over at them once hearing Legolas' question. Elladan nodded before turning back to the unconscious human and prodded his ribs again. His brother wasn't as bad as the elf initially thought. His lungs and ribs were bruised from some kicks from the orcs and countless bruises seemed to the extent of his injuries. The bruise forming at the side of his head was probably the reason for his current state of unconsciousness but Elladan knew that Aragorn had a thick head and he would just be left with a headache when he woke. He rubbed some soothing ointment on the bruises and recruited Lina's help to wrap his ribs before carefully lowering the human to the ground and pulling a blanket over him. Glorfindel's ribs were just badly bruised from an orc that had barreled into him and fell on him when one of Elrohir's arrows killed him. Eventually, they all sat around the fire once everyone was looked over for any wounds and were treated. Sauros looked at Legolas and Glorfindel and everyone knew that the only reason that Aragorn was spared the scathing look was because he was unconscious.

            "Would you two like to tell me what you are doing that concerns a dragon named Glaurung?"

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It is the new chapter!!!!! Yeah, I am so happy that it is out now. Sorry if it took a bit longer than the normal chapters but I just came back to college for the Spring semester and that took the majority of my time. So, here is the new chapter and I hope everyone likes it. Please, please review for me all of my faithful little readers. Heehee, I am okay, really I am.

Oh! Before I forget! Dha-Gal and I did this co-authorship short story; I guess you could call it a short story. But it is a small hilarious thing that I and she did on instant messaging and we thought that it was so hilarious that we should post it. Well it is up under my name and the title is "Confessions of a Mirror". Just a cute little funny snippet, you can love it or hate it. Does not matter really. Just something fun.

**_Roccovende_****_- _He went off by himself and he gets into trouble. It is like in his contract or something, I swear it is. Heehee, I am so bad to him and Legolas. But it is so much fun. Funny about the "Like I had an all-night drinking fest with the twins." I called a good friend of mine at like 3:30 in the afternoon, and the night before she had gone out drinking, and when I called her, I woke her up and she had the worst hangover. I thought it was hilarious myself. Kept yelling into the phone to magnify her headache. If you can not handle the aftereffects then do not drink. Or at least do not come whining to me. **

**_Gwyn_****_- _A reviewer reviewed a while ago and planted an idea into my head about Lina and now I can not get it out. I will not allow this story to turn into a Mary-Sue; I will stake my life on it! Well maybe not that extreme, but I stake my…uh…uh…I will stake Astro on it!**

**_Dha_****_-Gal- _Most of my friends are hilarious when they are drunk. I just get philosophical on everyone. I have my bags of skittles all piled up on my desk next to my laptop and in front of my printer. Well, at least one bag. Heehee. I think we should work on a new chapter for the "Confessions of a Mirror" and put it up. This time it should contain stuff about Elrond and Thranduil. That would be hilarious. Oh, of all the rhymes we could come up with that eyebrow thing.**

**_Elven_****_ Kitten- _I left the penguin at home with Peanut the cat. They have started to get along. The penguin no longer tries to drown Peanut the cat in the toilet. Penguins are not allowed in my dorm room at college. Pity, I think he would have liked it here.**

**_SilverKnight7- _**Sugar and caffeine are good! *evilly cackle* I was talking to a good friend of mine that goes to a college up in Asheville or Anderson and she said that the student body does not use coffee to stay awake. They use the college's sweet tea. It is one of those: "Would you like tea with your sugar?" I thought it was hilarious.

**_Deana- _**Well, thank you very much for the compliment.

**_Ringmarciel_****_- _I have noticed that too. I think I actually like fanfiction stories much better than the movies. I like the story Elrond much better than the movie Elrond. He just seems mean in the movies, do not know why actually but he does.**

**_Star-Stallion- _**Scottish accents are the best in the world. Well maybe right behind Irish. I will accept that my writing is good but it is not great. There are some much better writers out there than me. It may be because I have read so much that of all the writing styles; I have just mixed them into my own. Apparently, you are the only one that likes how I write; my college English professors said that my style of writing is terrible.

**_Elvendancer_****_- _Well, thank you very much for the confidence in me and my writing ability. I am trying very hard to keep Lina from turning into a Mary-Sue. Hope that I will succeed.**

**_Astievia_****_- _Thank you. I am at 117 now! I am just so bloody excited the thrilled!**

**_Vanessa- _**Thank you very much for the compliment.

**_Snow-Glory- _**I mean come one, you have to expect that from Aragorn. Then it would not be our loveable Aragorn. Heehee. That question about the dreams is about to be partially answered; not entirely answered, but partially. The real reason (the voices also) will be explained towards the end. Thank you so much for the compliment.

**_Cloud-123- _**Thank you so much *holds hand over heart and bows while sweeping hand and arm out* Hannon lle.

**_Grumpy- _***blushes* Okay, so from now on I will stick to just Legolas and Aragorn stories. Got it! LOL. Glorfindel is just being a lovely dear. I just want to huggle him to death.

**_Kandice_****_- _A NEW REVIEWER! A new reviewer! I just love new reviewers! Drinks all around! *blushes* Well thank you very much (I never do well with big compliments; I get all flustered). Just for you, I have actually towed around with the idea of killing Lina. Not saying if I will or how but the idea is staying in my mind. Diola lle.**

**_Legalady_****_- _I really try to avoid cliff hangers as much as I can but the chapters just seem to stop there. This one is not really a cliff hanger, is it? I do not think so but this is me the author speaking and not a reader.**


	12. Chapter 12

_Beginning of this chapter is dedicated to Lana G who gave me the idea when I actually had no clue how to start the chapter. Well I did but it was not nearly as exciting as this._

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            Legolas gasped and jerked back when a blinding pain erupted at the front of his head towards his brow. He pressed the heels of his hands against his forehead as he squeezed his eyes shut as images flashed before his eyes. The black-scaled dragon with blood red scars loomed above him and lunged at him with his sharp teeth bared. Sharp claws scraped across his chest and he cried out at the sudden sharp pain before whimpering. He heard people yelling at him but the words jumbled together to create a confusing mess. He felt somebody strong pin him to the ground and hot breathe breathing down on him that smelled of sulfur.

            Sauros trapped the struggling elf under his front paw and dug his talons into the ground to press the elf against the dirt with the fleshy part of his paw. A look to the other travelers told them to stay back and let the dragon deal with this. Sauros seemed to grow in size and his talons lengthened to dig further into the dirt around the elf. His teeth sharpened and lengthened as he pulled himself up in size and towered over everyone.

            _"Yeesh baruck n'eumba esh.__ Harupę nia eldar unt sarut ba valud, _Glaurung, " Sauros ordered with a booming voice that seemed to shake the ground.

            His dark eyes bore into the blonde archer as he snarled in anger. Sauros' wings fanned out beside him and cast a shadow over the area against the bright moonlight. A screeching cry echoed across the land to startle everyone except the dragon and elf that ignored the sound. A cluster of birds flew from their perches in the tree at the sharp sound and flew away into the night. Sauros carefully folded his wings against his body and leaned down to look closer to the elf.

            Legolas' eyes slowly opened and blinked a few times to focus on the large red head directly in front of him. His gaze slowly traveled around and saw the worried onlookers at the side before turning back to Sauros. The elf's blue eyes held a shadow that would slowly fade within a day or two, Sauros hoped, and he was paler than normal for the Silvan elves but nothing to worry about. Sauros slowly retracted his talons but refrained from removing his grip on the elf before speaking and ensuring that Glaurung had released his hold.

            "Look to me, Legolas. Let me see your soul," Sauros ordered softly and waited as the elf locked gazes with the dragon.

            Sauros altered his voice and used a power that was passed along to all dragons, but rarely used. At least he never used it, except on very special times when it was absolutely necessary. Legolas' face slackened and his eyes glazed over, almost as if the elf traveled in elven dreams but continued to hold Sauros' gaze. The power that Sauros used was the ability to control a person's mind and read it, if the person looked into a dragon's eyes. The dragon broke down the simple barrier guarding the elf's thoughts and mind before searching for any remnants of Glaurung and his evil. Finding none, he gently pushed the elf into a deep sleep to allow him to rest before withdrawing entirely from the elf's mind. He lifted his paw from the elf's body and looked over to Elladan.

            "It was a reaction to hearing Glaurung's name that sent him into that attack. He will be fine once he awakens," he said as Elladan lifted Legolas and carried him to a bedroll.

            Elladan checked Legolas over quickly before pulling a blanket up to cover the lithe archer. He moved to check Aragorn before going back to the small circle of travelers that were clustering around the fire Elrohir had built. Sauros stared into the fire as Elladan settled himself beside his twin and waited for the dragon to start.

            "When Arda was created, Ilúvatar made an opposite for everything. Day had night, good had bad, woman had man. There were also good dragons and bad dragons to balance out each other. Glaurung was the first dragon to be seen, he was called the Father of Dragons, and he came forth from Angband. Along with Glaurung, there was Ancalagon, Scatha, and Smaug. Glaurung was the vanguard of Morgoth's forces and devastated the battlefields when he grew to full size. Eventually, Glaurung meet his death by Túrin's black sword Gurthang in the Forest of Brethil.

            "Ancalagon was killed when Eärendil came through the sky in Vingilot and slew Ancalagon with the held of Thorondor and the Eagles.

            "Scatha infested the Grey Mountains of the north and was later slain by Fram son of Frumgar in the early days of the Éothéod. Smaug settled himself in the ruined halls of Erebor and was eventually slain by Bard, a descendant of Girion of Dale."

            "But you said that Glaurung meet his death by Túrin. How can he be harming Legolas and Aragorn?" Lina asked as Sauros turned to look at her.

            "I honestly do not know the answer to that. I assume that before Morgoth was destroyed, he somehow ensured that Glaurung would reside on this plane of being even after his death. It would have been almost impossible, but very probable. Morgoth had the strength and power to do it if he so wished. The others and I have a theory on how it may have been done but we can not be exactly sure of how it was done."

            "I would assume that a bit of black magic would be included," Glorfindel suggested and Sauros nodded.

            "Most definitely; a good bit. The theory is that Glaurung's body was placed in a magically protected area to prevent him from leaving the protected place too early when he revived. He would rejuvenate slowly by feeding off the souls of people; humans, elves, dwarves, anything that was captured and brought to his dwelling. The servants that did this were called the Order of Glaurung; they are servants of the Dark Lord. At nights they go out and bring victims to Glaurung so he can feed off their souls. The victims are wanders, vagabonds, and criminals, people that will not be noticed if they are gone. Their souls are not entirely taken but he feeds off them continuously and they are trapped or earth-bound. They are not allowed to travel to Mandos."

            "The first night after Aragorn and I departed from Imladris, he had an out-of-body experience almost. He said that voices told him that he had to save them and set them free. The voices said that 'he' would kill them and then something attacked Aragorn. That next morning when I woke him, his back was bloody and mauled," Glorfindel said slowly as he remembered the incident that seemed so long ago.

            "What did the marks look like?" Sauros asked and Glorfindel stood up to walk over to the unconscious human.

            The others followed as Elladan helped Glorfindel careful roll Aragorn onto his stomach and pull up his shirt. The slashes were just starting to heal and were still pink from the healing flesh. Sauros extended his claws and carefully placed his sharp talons in the pink grooves. The distance and shaping matched perfectly to prove that it was a dragon that had marked Aragorn's back that night and everyone silently agreed that it was Glaurung's doing or another dragon.

            "Will Glaurung be able to leave his sanctuary?"

            "I assume so. Why go through all the trouble if the end product is not to get out into the world again? It must be getting near the time and the lost souls are trying to stop him by informing someone. Aragorn is the King of Men; it is understandable why the lost souls would have sought him out," Sauros said as Elladan pulled Aragorn's shirt back down and rolled him back onto his back.

            "What do we have to do to stop Glaurung?" Elrohir asked as he ran a hand through his dark locks.

            It was rare that the twin sons of Elrond physically showed their frustration. At most times, it seemed that they had control of every situation that they found themselves in, but after traveling with Aragorn and Legolas, that had changed. They were known as the stoic, calm, and precise warriors that the elves were legendary for and the stories were told about. Interestingly enough, Aragorn was the only one that could cause the twins to break that image and succeed in pissing them off beyond belief. Aragorn actually made it an art that was calculated and definite whenever he was home at Imladris. His elven instructors would almost have a mental breakdown when they had to work with the young human and try to instruct him during his lessons and training. His brothers almost wanted to pull their long hair out of their heads when Aragorn pushed the envelope and his luck to the farthest extent.

            "Defeat Glaurung once and for all. Ensure that he does not return to full strength and turn the tide of power to Mordor and the Dark Lord. If that happens, then the free people of Middle Earth will be hard pressed to defeat them," Sauros said quietly and flicked his tail side to side.

            "Where does Glaurung lay rest?" Glorfindel asked as he tossed another piece of wood onto the warm fire.

            "I do not know. Aragorn's visions might be trying to lead him to the location. It seems logical."

            "Perhaps, it would be better if we finish discussing this in the morning. Aragorn and Legolas may be awake by then and we could include them into this conversation. They may know some other bit of information that would aide us in deciphering this mystery," Lina suggested and cast a glance up towards the dark sky.

            "I agree with Lina. We could all use some rest after today," Elrohir said and the others agreed.

            Everyone scattered around the campsite and eventually each fell asleep except for the twins that were the watch for the night. They both sat next to each other by the fire and listened to the quiet surrounding forest.

            "Why is it always Aragorn that gets into this type of mess?" Elrohir asked, curious.

            "I have no clue. Wish I did though. Whenever he becomes King, I certainly hope his reign is not as exciting as his earlier years. If they are then the world of Men will be doomed to constant angst," Elladan said flatly before glancing over at Elrohir.

            The younger of the twins raised his eyebrows and the two stared at each other for a moment before chuckling softly.

            Aragorn softly groaned to himself as he pushed aside the darkness that seemed to override all his senses. He had the sudden notion that he really shouldn't wake up and that something bad was waiting for him. He had no clue why he was thinking this but it seemed to be very important to his current state of being. Perhaps a huge troll was looming over him waiting for him to wake up and so he could be cooked and served for dinner. Or maybe a huge group of orcs was waiting for him to gain consciousness again so they could torture him endlessly and introduce new forms of pain that he never conceived of before. Mayhap that he was already dead and was resting in Mandos, awaiting judgment. He cracked his eyes open and focused on the heads that leaned over him.

            It was worse than he expected, much worse. It was his brothers, Glorfindel, and Legolas. Valar, it could not get any worse than this. Could he pretend to be dead and hopefully sneak off at the appropriate time? The look that Legolas was shooting him would probably kill him if he kept up the constant intensity. The sneaking off wouldn't work; they already knew that he was conscious. Maybe he could drug them that night and escape after they already served him the first round of lectures he was expecting from every single one of them.

            "I knew that I should not have awoken," he muttered, not caring if the elves heard him with their acute hearing.

            "You should not have gotten into trouble in the first place. And you have gotten yourself into some big trouble. Bigger than normal," Elladan said sternly as he sat back to allow Elrohir to help their brother sit up.

            "What exactly have I gotten myself into, pray tell," Aragorn said and flinched as his bruised ribs protested at the movement.

            "A very old and powerful dragon that was a servant of the Dark Lord Morgoth. I would assume that he is now serving under Sauron since he is the current Dark Lord," Sauros answered from across the small clearing where he sat with Lina.

            "Marvelous, just my luck."

            "You ignorant dunedain. Why did you leave Glorfindel and me at the town? Did you ever think of what your brothers and father would do to us if we came back without you? Not even knowing where you had gone off to this time? I would rather face Lord Sauron face to face before facing an irate Elrond and twins," Legolas snapped in a huff.

            "Excuse me?" Elladan asked and looked over at the Mirkwood elf as his eyebrows arched upwards.

            "Sorry; I meant that in the best way possible. Really."

            "I am sure. You had better watch your back Thranduillion," Elladan stated before turning back to Aragorn. "How are you feeling?"

            "Well enough to know that I do not need you mothering me. Help me to stand up and I will be much better," he said and started to get his feet under him.

            "I must wonder if the other men of your line were as stubborn as you," Glorfindel muttered as he rolled his eyes.

            "Probably worse," Elrohir stated as Aragorn glared at the elves surrounding him.

            "Just tell me what happened and I will allow all of you to keep your heads attached to your bodies."

            "Someone is in a bad mood," Elladan commented and departed to fix Aragorn something to eat.

            Elrohir, Legolas, and Glorfindel launched into telling Aragorn what all happened since they found him and what Sauros had told them. Aragorn listened quietly while they informed him of Glaurung and what all had occurred before his time. He agreed when they came to the conclusion that the voices he heard several nights ago were the lost souls trying to inform him of Glaurung. When they were done, he looked out at the surrounding forest before glancing up at the sun that rested high in the sky. He didn't really know how to react to the news that they just told him. He was glad that the visions were coming to him for a reason and he just wasn't losing his mind. Ask the twins, Legolas, or Glorfindel that and they would beg to differ. But that wasn't the current issue that the human was thinking about. Did he think that he could go up against this imposing dragon that was about fifty times his size? Did he really want to? Why couldn't his life be easy? Like being a simple farmer or a soldier that was lost amid hundreds of other soldiers. Every second of every day, his destiny weighed heavily upon his mind and conscious. It determined his actions and responses to different situations that he encountered daily.

            Everyone had faith in him and in the power and strength that resided in his blood. With faith breeds hope. Estel. He was hope; hope, lost in a world where men killed other men and evil was bred in the darkest shadows. Evil lurked around every corner and was evident every day to anyone that looked with opened eyes. The evil was even on him. The scars on his back and chest were just the physical signs; the emotional signs were just as harsh and ran just as deep if not deeper. How could they have hope in him, when the hope he held for himself was wavering?

            He glanced over at Elladan as he sat next to him on the ground. Aragorn sighed to himself and put his self-doubts behind him before turning his mind to the issue at hand.

            "How soon can we be ready to leave for Annúminas?"

_Yeesh__ baruck n'eumba esh._ Harupę nia eldar unt sarut ba valud, Glaurung. _--I command thee to obey me. Release this eldar and return to your darkness, Glaurung._

//////////////

I hope everyone is doing well and in the mood to read. I must apologize for taking so long in getting this chapter out to everyone. I was lazy. That is my reason; I was just flat out lazy and did not write. There, now that you have the reason. Here is the new chapter, I am sorry if it is a bit shorter than normal but I know that it has been some time since I updated and this was a good length so I went ahead and posted it. I promise that the next chapter will be nice and long. Please review for me and see you at the next update.

**_Deana-_** I just have to say first off that I am loving your story. Can not really remember the title as of this moment but I do love it. Please hurry with a new chapter. Okay, on to other things. I am just going to be so bad on all the characters in this story. I mean, we are talking: blood, gore, tears, anger, and everything else you can think of. It is just so much fun to write about it.

**_Roccovende_****_-_ That Super-bowl party sounds kickass! I would have a blast at that party, man! So, yeah, my friend has vowed to never drink that much again. I just roll my eyes and nod my head: "Sure Katie, what ever you say." Heehee, I am so mean. Anyway, Poppy the plot-bunny is curled up in my wire rack with all my books and school stuff taking his much deserved rest. I kept pushing him to give me more on the story and would not let him rest. He is resting now; poor plot-bunny can not hold his liqueur/spirits very well. Sauros will seem a bit different towards the end of the story than from the first story. I have *clears throat* added a few other things that you will find out towards the end of the story. Dangit, I already have a story plot idea ready for the one after this one. If I decide to write it. PANTHERS KICKED EAGLES' ASS!**

**_Frodo16424-_** Sauros is the dragon! I just love him to death, I do, really. This is the Aragorn we all love and adore, always getting into trouble. I think it goes both ways actually.

**_Kandice_****_-_ *blushes* Well, thank you very much for the compliment. I always love hearing from my reviewers when they try to put their feelings into words. Why did you spend all day lying in a pool of bad smelling mineral water? Just a simple, curious question. I tried to think of an answer myself but I did not get very far.**

**_SilverKnight7-_** I only drink lattes. I had a sugar-free vanilla latte earlier this morning before my classes started. I need that little extra boost to wake me up and make me coherent. 

**_Gwyn_****_-_ Heehee, Astro is kind of my stuff animal. He is in the shape of a star, is blue, plushy, and has little horns. His name came from a techno club that I use to visit regularly and was well known there; I got him the afternoon before I went to the club that night. He was in my car and I needed a name for him so I looked at the club and decided to name him Astro. He can be a great pillow to sleep on.**

**_Cloud-123-_** Yeah! Another review! Heehee, hope you like the new chapter.

**_Isadora2-_** Ssssshhhhh!!!!!!! You were not supposed to notice that! *holds finger over lips* I am sticking to the story that he accidentally bit the inside of his cheek badly and is spitting out that blood. I apologize for the minor medical error. I figured that I injured him in the first chapter, then the slashes from the out-of-body experience, then the orcs brew and arrow wound, then emotional damage with the mudslide, then the other group of orcs, I figured that I will not damage him much in this chapter. I was having an indecisive moment *shrugs shoulders*.

**_Grumpy-_** I might actually write that later on in the story. It will be a little bit different but still have the same kind of basis. *rubs hands together while evilly grinning* Well, anyway, onto other reviewers.

**_Dha_****_-Gal-_ Oh my, I can not believe it! You actually got to beta for me on this chapter! It is a shock and amazement! First time since…what…chapter 9 or 10? Anyway, poor Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas having to take care of you and reviewing all of your stories. That is cruel and unusual punish on its own.**

**_Star-Stallion-_** Well, diola lle mellonin. I like to think that I write nicely, my professors are the only ones that do not like how I write. English professors are pretty much useless. Can not say that too loudly; my roommate is majoring in English. Eeep!

**_Lana G-_** Did you read the beginning of the chapter? Eh, eh, eh *poking at you*. The beginning I had in mind just plain ole sucked so I did 'take' your offered idea and I have to say hannon lle. It worked out marvelously. 

**_Elvendancer_****_-_ I have been keeping sane hours as of late. Probably because I have classes again and I am usually tired enough as it is when I do get near my bed. I just crash into it. I have been getting my sleep…acting just like my mum. Heehee.**

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_ The fanfiction.net Elrond is so much nicer and calmer. Much more loving too. I really wish they had Elladan and Elrohir in the movies; I really wanted to see who they would cast as the twins. **

**_Catmint-_** Glorfindel is like the comic relief of the entire group. I just love him to death. Well, thank you very much for the compliment, mellonin. I always love hearing them.

**_Elven_****_ Kitten-_ I know it does suck that penguins are not allowed in my dorm. He would have had a blast.**

**_Snow-Glory-_** I toned down Legolas' tirade a bit. I knew that everyone else wanted a piece of him so Legolas took his share and passed him on to the next person to lecture him. Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter out to you. I apologize from the bottom of my heart.

**_Legalady_****_-_ I have realized that I have never killed a character off in my stories. Maybe I should write one of those stories that a main character dies. I will have to think about that.**

**_Lauren-_** I looked over the 'angst' line that you had a worry with. I tired to rewrite it or reword it but it just did not have the same effect to me. I honestly tried to correct it for you; I feel so bad now that I did not. Are you mad at me for not fixing it? *whimper*


	13. Chapter 13

            The group now numbering seven started off a few hours after Aragorn awoke and made way for Annúminas. Those not on horses rode Sauros even though the dragon complained good-naturedly at the added weight from all the passengers. Unbeknownst to the others, Sauros kept a close eye on Legolas for any lingering aftereffects of being consumed by Glaurung. He doubted that there would be any but he didn't want to chance it and possibly regret it later on. The dragon had grown to love all of his new friends and companions and brought it upon himself to protect everyone with his life. For the first time in many eons, Sauros actually felt close to someone other than one from his own species. That really didn't mean anything seeing how he was just reacquainted with all the other dragons at Tharbad sometime ago. Despite the times that Legolas and Aragorn seemed to drive the dragon to near insanity, Sauros enjoyed listening to their normal bickering over a small item. The twins did have more experience than their human brother but it did nothing to improve their maturity. Sauros suddenly pitied and held a new respect for Glorfindel and Elrond for having to put up with all three of them; four whenever Legolas visited Rivendell. The four could be more of a handful than a group of rowdy young dragons, and dragons could set things on fire. Come to think of it, Sauros thought, so could these four. And they could blow things up, on accident they always say. Somehow Sauros didn't believe that it was always on accident. Glorfindel seemed like more of a babysitter to Sauros than anything else but Sauros wasn't going to comment on it. He had been informed of the famous Glorfindel, the Balrog slayer, and the prowess of the elf. Sauros understood why no one would desire to battle the Gondolin elf.

            They traveled quickly and were lucky enough to not encounter any other travelers or meet any delays. Sauros was almost disappointed; he wouldn't be able to see the four in action. Glorfindel would probably advise that Sauros shouldn't wish this for he didn't know what he was getting himself into. A few times, Sauros morphed into his human form when everyone was walking and would spar with the others. Most of the times, Sauros would lose to whomever he sparred against seeing how he was not experienced in the human body. In his dragon form, he had the advantage in strength, size, and basic brute force along with his tail, horns, and the obvious spouts of fire. When they neared Anúminas, Sauros took to the air and searched the ruins for any other life claiming the area for a resting stop or home. It looked as deserted as ever since Sauros first inhabited it. The area was surrounded by legends and ghost stories of restless spirits that frightened off any travelers from nearing the ruins. Embellished stories of terrified travelers always served better than actually seeing an apparition.

            Sauros perched on top of a stone pillar as everyone walked or rode into the broken city. The city looked a bit better than the last time most of them had been there during their time at Tharbad. The snow was gone and the plants were blooming, giving the area a fresh green look and feel. The group decided to camp outside instead of inside one of the crumbling buildings and the weather permitted it.

            "Where do we go from here?" Sauros asked Aragorn as the human looked around the area.

            "Not really sure. I am looking for a statue that has their right arm extended out as if they are pointing in a direction. To the right of the statue will be a large wall," Aragorn described as Sauros thought for a moment.

            "There are many statues in this city and one fitting that description is not coming to mind. I would have to search for it."

            Aragorn nodded as Sauros took flight and went to search for the described statue. The Ranger wandered away from the camp and looked around him to the crumbling city, imagining what it used to look like in all its glory. He hoped that once, or if he mused, when he took his rightful place on the throne of Gondor that he would bring this city back to its splendor. He knew about the history of this city. 

            Annúminas had been founded by Elendil himself and was home to one of the three palantiri of the North-Kingdom. Once the numbers of the Northern Dúnedain started to dwindle the population of the city also dwindled. The Kings moved to Fornost to the east and only a few relics of its once greatness survived: the palantir and the Sceptre of Annúminas. The palantir was eventually lost to the cold northern seas. The Sceptre was originally the rod of office of the Númenórean Lords of Andúnië and passed to someone to keep it in safekeeping. Aragorn didn't know who had it or it was forever forgotten with history and lore; he didn't know if it even existed still. Rubbing his face, he found himself at the edge of the city looking towards the shores of Lake Evendim that lay by the city. Sometimes he felt as if the pressure of his awaiting destiny almost smothered him to death. There were very few times that Aragorn felt relieved from the pressure of expectations and those times were extremely rare. When Legolas and he traveled in the wilderness and was often referred to as Strider, which was one of the times. He was just a wandering body with no real worries or responsibilities. Sometimes when he was at home and just referred to as Estel, son of Elrond Half-Elven was another time. He felt like a young man, expected to be a king.

            He turned upon hearing a twig snap behind him and smiled weakly at Legolas as the elf purposely made noise to alert the human. Legolas could tell that Aragorn was thinking deeply about something that concerned him greatly. The Ranger only attained that slightly dazed look when something especially important was on his mind that was worrisome to him.

            "Care to share some of that burden upon your shoulders with a friend?" the elf offered with a small grin as he sat next his friend.

            Aragorn almost chuckled at that. Legolas, somehow, always knew when Aragorn wished to speak with someone about a problem he was encountering. Majority of the time, Legolas just sat there and listened to the human talk until he found the answer himself without Legolas having to say a word. It was a unique system but it worked for the two best friends. Aragorn could barely hide anything from Legolas without the elf discovering it within a few hours. It worked both ways too; Legolas could never hide anything from Aragorn no matter how hard he tried.

            "You are far too insightful for your own good, my friend," Aragorn said jokingly as Legolas smiled.

            "No, you just project your emotions too frequent."

            Aragorn reached out and shoved Legolas gently as the two friends chuckled. They looked out across the hill and to the lake that glistened in the distance.

            "I was just contemplating my destiny, as I often find myself doing as of late. Thinking about my mortality is also in there somewhere, I would assume. It usually always is. The knowledge that I will never be as intelligent, as quick, as strong, or as silent as an elf has always been an issue to me; this you know as well as I. I know that mortality is my burden but I find it hard to accept."

            "No one can easily accept thoughts of their own death, Aragorn. Anyone would be lying to say that they accept death," Legolas said softly as he nudged the human's shoulder with his own.

            "But where life is more terrible than death, it is then the truest valor to dare to live. I am not sure if I have enough valor left in me to follow me to my end."

            "I do not believe that I understand."

            "You have lived longer than I, Legolas, but we have both seen the hardships and the evil done by men. Eventually you will travel across the sea and I will be left here to battle constantly against the evil that seems to smear everything good without my close friend. Or I will die tomorrow and in several years you will have forgotten me, only to be remembered when your children ask you what you did as a younger elf. You will tell them of an edain that you spent but a few years with that was cursed by mortality that befell all of his kin. Your memory of me will be but a drop of water in the vast expanse of the Belegaer," Aragorn said quietly before turning to look at Legolas' shocked face.

            Legolas had no clue that Aragorn felt this way. If he had, he would have ended that train of thought even before it started. He was almost offended that Aragorn would look upon their friendship under that light. Every second he spent with the Ranger he felt honored and held it close to his heart. He had never felt this close to anyone, elf or edain, before in the thousands of years he tread these grounds. The anguish in Aragorn's eyes was true and deep as Legolas looked at him with shocked eyes. Legolas would not trade his time with Aragorn for anything that could be offered to him. He took a deep breath before answering his friend.

            "Aragorn, mellonin, no matter how old you become or how old I become, I will never forget you. Do you think that all the things that we have been through together mean nothing to me? Yes, you may not be an elf, but that does not concern me. You are my blood brother in more ways than just by blood; the number of times we have healed each other just might make us blood brothers actually.

            "I do not think of you as an edain, elf, dwarf, or hobbit but my friend that I would not trade for all the fastest horses of Rohan. When I talk to my children about you, it will be about their father's best friend that watched their father's back through everything. You have protected my back more times than the Valar can count and I have counted myself blessed to be called your friend and to call you one of mine. You are much better as a friend and warrior than some elves I know. Do not think so little of yourself for I do not and neither does those we travel with. You may be named Estel, Aragorn, Strider, and anything else you may have picked up on your travels but you will always been known to us as 'a friend'," Legolas said passionately as he looked up at the shadow moving towards the two.

            Aragorn glanced up at Sauros that stood a few yards away to give the friends their privacy. He looked back to Legolas and stood quickly as Legolas followed the Ranger's movements.

            Looking out again towards Lake Evendim, he smiled softly before turning to Legolas. Reaching up, he tightly grasped the elf's shoulders and squeezed them in friendship. "Diola lle, mellonin." (Thank you, friend.)

            "Lle creoso." (You're welcome.)

            They walked towards Sauros as the dragon dipped his head in greetings before looking at Aragorn.

            "I believe that I have found your statue. It is on the eastern side of the city. I will lead you there," he said and waited for Aragorn decision.

            "Lead the way, Master Dragon."

            Sauros started walking away from the lake and past their small camp where they picked up Elladan. Elrohir, Glorfindel, and Lina would stay at the camp to watch over the few horses and their packs. About twenty minutes into their trek, Sauros changed into his human form when the pathways started to become too tight for a full-grown dragon to tread through.

            He had never come down to this part of the city; there are some places that even a dragon would not venture. The dragon felt ill spirits residing in this area, the guardians of those dead and of these streets. The eastern part of the city was silent as graves where no beast, good or foul, dared to venture. It looked like it was in continual winter season; no plants grew, no sun could pierce these dark shadows. A swift gust of wind swept down the barren street to sweep around the four explorers. They covered their faces to protect against the dust as the wind sent shivers across their skin. A faint voice was heard upon the wind, warning the trespassers away from that holy and sacred ground. The gust of wind stopped just as suddenly as it began and left the four in silence. Sauros repressed the shudder about to race through his body and quickly settled himself before glancing over at Legolas and Aragorn and his brother. All three of them sensed the evil permeating this area and the foreboding that came with it from the wind.

            "What part of the city is this Sauros? There is malicious intent upon the wind," Aragorn asked quietly as he looked around the barren street.

            "This was known as the Death Street and it is still called this. When Annúminas was still thriving, any people that were destined to die from age or disease were brought here. They believed and hoped that the kings of old would guide their souls to the afterlife and guard them. The House of Lost Kings is just a bit ahead, to the left of your statue actually. Are you ready to proceed?" he asked, almost wishing that the human would actually say no.

            Aragorn stared down the street and towards the bend in the street before squaring his shoulders and walking past Sauros. His friends followed him without a second thought and they rounded the bed in the street to look up at the statue they were searching for. The statue was pointing towards the distance with one arm while his other arm held a sword above his head as is he was about to lead him army into battle. The expression on the statue's face was one of pure determination, cunning, and strength.

            "He is your ancestor Aragorn. He is Aragorn the first; you were named after him," Sauros told him quietly as Aragorn slowly rounded the statue and looked at it from all angles.

            Aragorn did see a slight bit of resemblance between the statue and him but he really wasn't concerned with that at the moment. He slowly reached out and pushed up the statue's extended arm pointing towards the horizon while only meeting a bit of resistance. The arm moved up and everyone heard the sounds of stone grating against stone as vibrations moved through the ground under their feet. Aragorn stepped away from the statue and towards the wall on the right that had Westron writing on it.

            _'None shall pass this threshold that would desire harm upon Isildur's line. The dead shall not allow it; beware those of untrue hearts for the dead know all.'_

            The stonewall moved to the side slowly to reveal a pitch-black set of stairs that led down into the cool ground. The slab reached the end of its track and the sound of impact echoed down the steps. Aragorn stepped closer and peered down the steps as his ears caught sound of something from down the dark hallway. The sound grew louder as he stepped back and motioned the other three back. A cold and dry gust of wind suddenly rammed into him and knocked the air out of him as he fell to his knees to gasp for air for his starved lungs. The cold wind pricked the back of his throat and down his esophagus to bind to the lining of his throat and lungs. A chill raced through him as he stumbled and fell to a knee before the chill left him suddenly. Bracing a hand on the ground, he panted a few times before turning his head and looking at his three companions. Elladan held a hand over his eyes as a barely repressed shudder raced through the dark haired elf. Legolas looked a bit dazed, as well as Sauros but none had any physical injuries from the strange wind. Sauros carefully stood and shook his head to clear the double vision before holding out a hand to Legolas to help him up. Elladan helped Aragorn to his feet and held his brother to ensure that he had his balance.

            "Well…that was interesting," Sauros muttered and dusted off all the small bits of debris clinging to his clothes.

            "Very," Elladan said dryly and unslung his bow from his shoulder just in case.

            "I assume we may enter now," Legolas said and nodded towards the opening.

            Aragorn nodded and led the way towards the entranceway slowly before peering down the corridor again. Stepping across the threshold, torches along the walls sprang to life just as his foot descended on the stone step. He put out his hand to balance himself at the sudden light before glancing over his shoulders at the other three. His footfalls echoed softly as he moved down the steps and pulled a torch from the wall to hold in front of him and ward off any creatures.

            The steps wound deep into the earth and Aragorn started to worry about his elven friends behind him. It was well-known that elves did not like enclosed places such as caves or human built homes and Aragorn was sure that this place that they were currently in counted as one of those few places that elves did not like being. Stopping the group's movement, he turned and looked past Sauros to the two elves.

            "Elladan, you and Legolas go back to the surface. I know how uncomfortable this must be for you. Sauros and I will return shortly," Aragorn said softly and wasn't surprised when Elladan shook his head vehemently.

            "We will not Estel so do not even try to continue. I will not abandon you to whatever may lie down there and leave you to face it alone," Elladan said harsher than he really meant to.

            He knew that Aragorn was correct. It was difficult for him to remain under ground for any extended periods of time and the time continued to tick by and they didn't know where this pathway would end. The darkness was suffocating him but he was keeping it at bay for the time. He saw Aragorn look past him to Legolas and the dark haired elf had no doubts that Legolas would follow Aragorn still. Instead of annoyance on Aragorn's face, an expression of shock and fear washed over Aragorn's features. Aragorn pushed past Sauros and Elladan to thrust the torch to his brother before standing in front of Legolas to look at him.

            The fair-haired elf was gasping for breath with his eyes clenched tightly. A sheen of sweat covered his face and his nails were digging into his palms drawing blood. He was shivered uncontrollably as Aragorn held the elf's face and brushed aside his hair. Aragorn swore at himself angrily, he shouldn't have allowed Legolas to come down here. How much of a fool could he be? He knew how the elf still reacted about enclosed places from his experience in Tharbad. This place was almost like he was back in that cage in the castle at Tharbad, being smothered by the darkness.

            "Legolas! Legolas, look at me mellonin. Open your eyes and look at me! Legolas Thranduilion!" Aragorn snapped as Legolas' eyes popped open to lock with the humans before darting around him to see the walls.

            Legolas whimpered softly as the darkness surged forward to overtake him and taunt him. This was far worse than the dwarves' cave when he was with Lina; much, much worse. His body felt numb with fear and cold as he gasped for air. Turning back to his friend, Aragorn's face blurred momentarily as he felt someone lowering him to the ground.

            "Look at me; it is only you and me here; look at me! We are sitting in a large field by the swimming hole. You know the one, about a mile from Imladris; the sun is shining brightly and the bugs are jumping around while the birds sing in the trees. The horses are grazing nearby; do you feel the open air?" Aragorn said sternly without taking his eyes off the blue eyes of his friend.

            "Yes, yes I do Aragorn," Legolas replied as his heartbeat slowed slowly.

            "Okay, hold onto that field mellonin and breathe deeply. Hold onto the sensations while I check your hands," Aragorn soothed and slowly released his hold upon his friend's face.

            Mentally swearing at himself, Aragorn gently picked up Legolas hands and opened the elf's fingers to look at the small wounds on his palms. There were not bad but he wanted to clean them as soon as he possibly could but his supplies were at the camp. It would be best to just wrap the elf's hands and clean them thoroughly when they got back to the camp. Accepting the stripes of cloth from Sauros, Aragorn quickly bound his friend's hands and tied off the ends before looking him in the eyes again. His eyes still had a shadow over them but he had control. Aragorn reached up and grabbed Elladan's arm to pull the elf down to his level.

            "Elladan, take Legolas back up to the surface and to the camp. Clean his hands and bandage them," he directed and helped Legolas to his feet as his brother gaped at him.

            "Aragorn, you can not be serious!"

            "I am fine, Ara-"

            "Enough! Both of you!" Aragorn really didn't mean to snap at his brother and friend but he needed to get through the elves' thick skulls. He took a deep breath before speaking calmer this time.

            "I appreciate both you wanting to stay with me but this is no place for elves to be. Legolas cannot handle it down here and even if you do not wish to admit it, neither can you Elladan. I cannot move ahead without worrying about how you two are faring down here. I will have Sauros here to aid me," Aragorn said softly.

            He could see the doubt and worry in his brother's eyes but he knew in the end he would win out. Elladan knew he wasn't at his best in this type of situation and would only hinder the others.

            "Please Elladan."

            "Alright Aragorn; but if you encounter any trouble, promise me that you will come back for us and the others."

            "I promise."

            Elladan shouldered his bow as Legolas tightly hugged Aragorn. The two turned and started back up the steps until they were out of Aragorn's sight. He turned and looked to Sauros who was leaning against the wall. The dragon raised his eyebrows and tried to smother the grin threatening to break his face.

            "Wipe that grin off your face, dragon."

            "Your wish is my command."

            "Let us continue on."

            Aragorn held the torch in front of him and continued on while Sauros took up the rear and kept glancing behind them to ensure that nothing was sneaking up behind them. They had to brush aside cobwebs that had apparently been there for a long while; dust covered the sticky mesh as the small constructors of the web scuttled away. Aragorn was glad that normal, small spiders made these webs and not the ones notorious in Mirkwood. His eyes swept side-to-side along the floor looking for any kind of traps or weak areas in the stone. A sliver of light from the torch reflected off something at ankle level and he stopped quickly.

            "What is it?" Sauros asked softly as Aragorn slowly knelt.

            "A trip wire of some kind."

            "A trip wire for what?"

            "That is the fun part; finding out what for. But I would rather not and say we did," Aragorn said grimly as he stood up from his kneeling position.

            Lifting his foot high, Aragorn stepped over the wire to be sure that he cleared it. Putting his weight on his foot to lift his other foot over, he felt the stone depress under his weight and a soft grounding sound from around him. His eyes widened as he looked up from his foot to Sauros as the dragon stared at him.

            "I do not think that is a good sound," Sauros said as Aragorn shook his head.

            "I do not think so either. I think it best if we run for it."

            Almost on cue, they both tore off down the hallway. The floor shifted under their feet as they struggled to keep their balance and run at the same time. Sauros' eyes pierced the darkness ahead of them and saw some light glint off metal that was swinging towards Aragorn. Reaching forward, he grabbed Aragorn's shoulder and pushed him to the side.

            "Against the wall!"

            Both of them flattened themselves against opposite sides of the wall as a very big double edged axe swung down the pathway and swung by them. It continued to swing back and forth as the two scooted down the pathway with their backs pressed against the wall. Once clearing the axe, they leaned against the wall and gasped for air.

            "That…that was fun," Aragorn panted and leaned against a small stone column that came up to his elbow.

            Sauros nodded and rested his hands on his knees as he looked at Aragorn. The column under Aragorn's elbow suddenly shifted and Aragorn jumped back in alarm. The column slanted to the side and the stone grinding started again inside the wall. Looking at each other, Sauros and Aragorn tore down the pathway again in an almost comical fashion. Running, they heard the whiz of arrows zinging behind them just as they ran by. The arrows came from small holes in the wall and the arrows were old; just how old, Aragorn really didn't want to know. He really didn't want to stop and find out. Rounding a small corner, his eyes suddenly didn't see the ground and instead saw a very deep pit directly in front of him. The distance to the other side seemed immense as he scrambled for a quick solution.

            "Jump!" Sauros yelled knowing that they couldn't stop in time.

            Aragorn pushed off and felt time slow and almost stop as they went through the air. He swore he could almost hear his brother and Legolas lecturing him for this escapade. First almost being sliced in half by a mammoth axe, then causing a volley of arrows being fired at them, then almost falling into a pit because he couldn't stop quickly enough; they would laugh hysterically at that.

            Sauros caught the edge of the other side and slammed into the dirt wall as Aragorn did the same and jerked his head to the side as dirt rained down on his face. They hung there panting as the sounds faded until silence was once again restored.

            "Your brothers were right in warning me," Sauros mumbled and Aragorn weakly raised an eyebrow even though the dragon couldn't see him.

            "What did my brothers warn you about?"

            "Your nasty habit of wanting to touch everything! They told me that you did the same thing when you were a child and it got you into trouble and you still do it! Why must you humans always touch everything?" Sauros snapped and glared at the human hanging next to him.

            "If you dare tell my brothers about all of this then I will castrate you; I swear to Valar I will."

            "Like to see you attempt it."

            Aragorn glared over at Sauros as the dragon glared back. Sauros' lip twitched and soon they were both smiling.

            "We shall finish this later. Let us get out of here," Aragorn said and started to pull himself up.

            "Just as long as you do not touch anything else."

            "Shut up, dragon."

_'But where life is more terrible than death, it is then the truest valor to dare to live.'—Sir Thomas Browne_

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I wish to apologize profusely for those awaiting this chapter; I know that I took forever to get it out to you. I have been having problems with finding time to work on my stories. That and I have major writer's block on this chapter but I killed it and smashed it to smithereens and everything was flowing beautifully and I had a perfect direction of where I wanted to go with the chapter…and then I had to go to class. But I am working on this story; it is just taking me a little longer on chapters than normal so please be patient with me.

Another thing *geez, sure is a lot of author's notes*. A lot of this back ground information in this story came from a marvelous website titled Encyclopedia of Arda. I am too lazy to go researching through all the books so this website is a blessing. The address is: anyone needs help with background and do not know where to look; this is a marvelous site and very helpful.

A **_HUGE_** thank you goes out to all those that reviewed my new story 'An Ancient Bond' and say that they love it. I will take everyone's advice about it too heart and am trying to make it my best story so far. Do not know if I will succeed but I am really trying because I can sense how great this story will become. If anyone has any good advice or a scene that they think would be marvelous for this story, please let me know and I will love you to infinity and beyond. *huggles everyone*

**_Lauren-_** Diolla lle, mellonin for betaing my new chapter for me. I double-checked the spelling for sceptre and it can be spelled both ways: scepter and scepter. Do not know why they have both but oh well. I think that I like the sceptre, it looks better; I do not know why.

**_Deana- _**I love your story, girl! Every time I see an author alert in my inbox, I start bouncing around excitedly; especially if it is from your story. Three days seems too bloody long! I am impatient, I know this. I think if the characters were real then they would all run from me. Honestly, I do think that. My friend just told me today that I am insane but that was because I was annoying the shit out of her and it was hilarious too me.

**_Roz_****_-_** You did kind of disappear on me there for a while but that is okay. I kind of disappeared off the update planet; took a small hiatus. I find time to write, usually late at night because that is my best writing time. Classes take up my entire day and evenings are spent studying, writing, and reading. My updates will probably be spaced about a week or so apart because of my limitations on time right now.

**_Roccovende_****_-_** I would just love to be a fly on the wall in Elrond's house. It would be so interesting, I think. Do not get that Elrond eyebrow thing going with me. I kept giving that look to my plot bunny when I was forcing him to spit out this chapter and he kept procrastinating. Poor Poppy is cowering in the corner of my room because I persistently pushed him for this chapter. But once it started going it would not stop.

**_Gwyn_****_-_** I am taking your advice to heart about 'An Ancient Bond'. I hope to develop the idea a bit more; it sounded very viable to me as something that could actually happen. I will explain a lot of it when Elrond talks to Aragorn after all of it kind of clears up; at least I hope it will clear it up. Anyway, yes I love my stuff Astro. He is like the companion to my car (Putt-Putt) when I leave him in the backseat. I know this chapter had only a little bit of Legolas angst but I will put more in later. Have no fear.

**_Star-Stallion-_** Hannon lle, mellonin. I agree; whoever thought up of exams should be drug out in the middle of the street and shot. I think they were created by Satan as a huge joke. It is a conspiracy theory, I swear.

**_Catmint-_** Glaurung is a bad dragon, very bad dragon. I would not want to face an irate Elrond either. If you want a really good laugh then go and read theinsaneone's story Two Men and a Thorn Bush. It is bloody hilarious and the last chapter pertains to Elrond. I fell off my chair laughing, it is so funny. One of the funniest things that I have ever read. Seriously, go and read it.

**_SilverKnight7-_** You had snow-days? Well phooey you. My evening classes were canceled once a few weeks ago because of bad weather but no snow. We rarely get snow in a coastal city. Oh well, the downside to living by the beach.

**_Ringmarciel_****_- _**Dragons are cool and so are unicorns. Even though I love horses (and I define unicorns as horses) I think I love dragons more. Maybe it is because of Sauros and how much I have bonded with him.

**_Bill the Pony2-_** I am glad if you read the story and happier if you review. I know when I first started at fanfiction.net I usually only read the stories and very rarely reviewed. I was a lurker, I will admit.

**_Legalady_****_-_** I know it was short but this one is longer! Does that make up for my shortness in the other chapter? I hope it does. I know; when I watched RotK with my friend I kept expecting the Saruman and Wormtongue bit at the end and I felt slightly shorted when it was not in there. But it was okay because they still did a magnificent ending.

**_Grumpy-_** Did the delay of explanation add to the suspense? I hope it did; that was what I was aiming for.

**_Cloud-123-_** Hannon lle, mellonin. I am glad that you are enjoying this story so much.

**_Elvendancer_****_-_** You will be happy to know that I am keeping sane hours now. School is kind of forcing me to. That and at the end of most days I am feeling just utterly exhausted and could not even hope to write. I am feeling left out; I did not get any snow days. Just a cancellation of one class; and I was actually intending to skip that class.

**_Snow-Glory-_** Glaurung did not take possession of Legolas' soul just kind of took him over for a moment. Nothing long term. Sauros is just the best; I am falling in love with my dragon. He is just so dang cool!

**_Kandice_****_-_** Oh, that is why you were in a pool of bad smelling mineral water. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the others.

**_Elven_****_ Kitten-_** I tolerate the cold. I mean I went to London, England in January; it was snowing when my plane landed. I adapted and survived.

**_Lina Skye-_** Where are you from in South Carolina? I sent you an email a while ago but you never responded.

**_ELFan_****_-_** Thank you very much my friend. I am glad that you enjoy my stories so much. I have the idea for a third story after this one and I hope to be able to write it once I finish with this one. The plot will have to be developed a bit more. I know exactly which story you are talking about; it is a marvelous story. Cassia's stories are very good; I am addicted to them.

**_Saiyuki123-_** Thank you very much for the compliment. I am glad that you enjoy my stories.

**_Vampy2k-_** Thank you very much. I love hearing praises from my reviewers; it warms my heart beyond belief. I am working very hard on the chapters and writing as much as I possibly can with the time that I am given.


	14. Chapter 14

            "You allowed him to go down there alone with only Sauros?"

            Elladan shot his brother a glare as he pulled out the pack of herbs from his pack. Elrohir and Glorfindel had not taken kindly to the information that Aragorn and Sauros had continued alone down the passageway. Elrohir was surprised that Elladan allowed them to continue while Glorfindel didn't seem surprised; perhaps the Balrog slayer was used to the sons of Elrond's stupid ideas. Lina just remained at the back of the group listening to the four discuss everything that happened. Elladan grabbed a water flask and gently cleaned Legolas' small wounds on his palms while Elrohir continued to ramble about the stupidity of their human brother. Legolas was looking much better since they had gotten above ground and under the sun. The Mirkwood elf was angered that his weakness had become such a hindrance to prevent him from following his friend and protecting him. He barely remembered anything after going down a few of the steps until the memory of Aragorn talking to him surfaced. Other than that, his memory was blank. He flinched as Elladan spread a healing paste over the small wounds and bound each of his hands with a strip of linen.

            "Estel will be fine. Sauros will protect him in anything occurs," Elladan replied as his brother threw his hands up.

            "We are talking about the same person, you know, your little brother. The one that always seems to get into trouble with anything and everything that he sees. Who can turn a perfectly harmless trip into a complete and total fiasco?"

            Elladan thought about his brother's statement and realized that Elrohir was correct. Aragorn did have an amazing ability to get himself in trouble; he had it from the time when he came to Imladris to live there. The twins, Glorfindel, and Elrond hoped that he would grow out of it when he grew up but it was an empty hope. Aragorn attracted danger from miles away. It was inevitable; some warriors had it down to a precise moment. Elladan sometimes believed that they set bets on it and Glorfindel participated in it, not that the Balrog slayer would admit to it.

            "Aragorn is an adult and can take care of himself."

            Elrohir released a bark of laughter, "Do you really believe that? After all of his adventures that we have participated in and heard of, do you really believe that?"

            "Does it matter if I do or not? We can not always be there to protect him," Elladan snapped before standing up and held out a hand to help Legolas up.

            His temporary time in that cave served to make him more irritable than normal and he was snapping at his twin. Sighing deeply, he rubbed his brow and felt a warm breeze blow up and sweep his hair to the side. He was angered that he couldn't be with Aragorn and protect him. He did not doubt Sauros' abilities but he felt that no one could protect Aragorn better than himself. It was a stupid belief but it came from watching the human grow up and being a protective brother and all big brothers felt this.

            "I am sorry, brother. I did not mean to snap at you. I worry for Estel," he murmured as Elrohir moved up to stand next to his twin.

            "I also worry for him but we can not always be there to help him. It pains me also but it cannot be ignored as much as we wish to ignore it. Estel is the hope and king of men; he needs us to stand behind him and lend him support, not protect him from all the evils that roam these lands," Elrohir said quietly.

            "He is correct, Elladan. You must allow the baby bird to fly away from the nest and grow up," Glorfindel added and the twins turned to notice that the others were listening the two brothers' conversation.

            Elladan knew that they were right but it didn't make it any less hard for him. Looking at his brother, he tightly hugged his twin and smiled weakly.

            "We had better get all the herbs and bandages ready. I assume that Aragorn and Sauros will come out of there needing some kind of healing," he joked causing everyone to groan and laugh at the same time.

~~~~~~~~~

            "Now remember, human. No touching…touch nothing. Do you hear me?"

            "Yes, Sauros, no more touching for me; I have learned my lesson," Aragorn muttered and rolled his eyes.

            Like he would do that again and almost get himself cleaved in half by a massive axe, shot at by arrows older than Elrond, and leap across a huge pit. He kept his hands by his sides and watched out for any more trip wires or triggers that could set something else off to try and kill them. He still looked for them even though they were walking in the dark. He had dropped the torch when they had made the death-defying leap over the pit and now were walking down the hallway without a light into a place that they can't see. Oh, yeah, this was going great.

            Sauros was starting to mutter things under his breath and Aragorn worried that he may have set off someone else to get the eye twitch that seemed to infect everyone he interacted with. Could he actually drive a dragon to insanity? Apparently so, he thought as he slowly walked down the dark hallway. The dragon held the back of Aragorn's coat as they moved down the hallway to prevent from getting separated.

            "Are we having fun yet?" Aragorn asked quietly off the top of his head.

            "Do you want the real answer or do you want me to blow smoke up your ass?"

            Aragorn stopped and debated which way the dragon wanted that statement to be taken. Sauros wouldn't set him on fire…would he? Before the race down the pathway, Aragorn would have said no to the idea that Sauros would set him on fire but now it might have changed. Or was the dragon being overly sarcastic? That was the problem with dragons, Aragorn thought. You can never tell when a dragon was being serious or not.

            "There is a wall or door ahead of us. I can hear our steps echoing off the object," Sauros said and Aragorn reluctantly stretched out his arm.

            Several more steps forward and Aragorn's hand felt rough wood as he stopped in front of the barrier. Running his hands over the wood, he felt for the edges and eventually found the handles. Glancing over his shoulder to Sauros, he leaned his weight into the doors and felt them slowly move inwards. The room that the doors opened up too was pitch black as the two tried to see anything in the darkness. Aragorn started to pat his pockets to double-check that he did indeed not have his flint to start a torch or some kind of lighting. Sauros rolled his eyes at the human and reached out to pluck an unlit torch from the wall.

            "You know, there are some advantages to having a dragon around," he muttered and brought the torch up to his face.

            Sauros' eyes darkened and his skin took on a slight scaly complex as he blew on the torch. The torch was soon ignited and Sauros' forked tongue flicked out while a puff of sulfurous smoke expelled from his nostrils. His slight dragon qualities faded until his human face was revealed and again and Aragorn glared at him.

            "You could have done that earlier when we were going down the darkened hallway. It would have been useful you know."

            "I know but then the journey would not have been so suspenseful. I was waiting to see how many more traps you would set off in the dark without a light to show you things that you have to touch and put us in danger," Sauros smiled and held the torch ahead of him as he stepped past Aragorn to investigate the room.

            Aragorn raised an eyebrow and watched the dragon walk away. He never knew that dragons could so damn sarcastic when they actually tried to be. It was almost bordering on insanely sarcastic and unbearable. Sauros lighted the other torches around the room until the entire room was lit and they could finally see what was actually in the room. In a chair at the table in the center of the room was a skeleton collapsed over the table with cobwebs stretching between its bones and to the table. On the table was four thickly bound books layered with dust from years untouched in the vault under the earth. Scattered around the room were relics from the past also covered with dust. It was obvious that none had been down there in many ages save the last whose skeletal remains resided at the table. Gently nudging the chair with the toe of his boot, Sauros jumped back when the mandible fell from the skeleton's skull and clattered to the ground at his feet. Aragorn glanced over at him before turning his gaze back to the wall that the skeleton faced and the etchings on the stonewall. The etchings seemed to start at the far left side of the wall and extended outward to the right and branching off several times, but usually keeping a thick line through it all. At the endings of the branches there were words written in the Adûnaic language of which Aragorn was only vaguely familiar. He knew that Westron derived from it and he could see the differences between the two languages but that was the extent of his knowledge of the language.

            "Sauros, could you come over here and take a look at this?" he called to the dragon as his hands gently traced the etchings.

            "What is it?"

            "These etchings are in a language that I am not well versed in. Can you read it? It is in Adûnaic," Aragorn said as Sauros leaned closer to the wall and scanned the etchings.

            "I have not seen this language in quite some time. You wish to know what it reads?" he asked and glanced over at the human.

            "I would not have called you over to read it if I did not want to know what it reads," Aragorn said sarcastically as the dragon narrowed his eyes at the human.

            "There is no need to be sarcastic, human. If I had known that the majority of all humans were like you then I would have chosen another form to take. Your manners are absolutely atrocious," Sauros said before moving down the wall to follow the branches.

            "My manners? You set people on fire for fun and you call my manners atrocious?"

            "Well, I do normally apologize to them before I do it and ask them if they would like regular or extra crispy. It is always the polite way of going about it," Sauros replied without turning away from the wall.

            "Polite way…of course, how could I forget that it is polite," Aragorn muttered and moved towards the table where the skeleton and books were.

            Standing on the opposite side of the table from the skeleton, Aragorn pulled the thickly bound books towards him and wiped away the layer of dust with his forearm. The title meant nothing to him as he carefully opened the cover and heard the old leather cracking and chipping in certain places. Beautiful script flowed across the pages along with detailed sketches of people, weapons, and places. The book was written in Westron thankfully and it was easy for him to read as he quickly scanned the text for any hints of what to do next or any mentions of a dragon named Glaurung.

            "Aragorn, come over here, I think that I have found something interesting," Sauros called as Aragorn turned away from the books.

            He walked over to the far wall to his left where the dragon was scanning the wall. The branching seemed to end where Sauros stood and the rest of the wall was bare of etchings.

            "What is it Sauros?"

            "You are Aragorn the second, correct?"

            "Yes, I am."

            "And your father was Arathorn the second. And your grandfather was Arador."

            "Yes. How do you know all of this?" Aragorn asked as Sauros slowly turned to face him.

            "It is all here on the wall. It is a family tree originating from Elendil himself. Annúminas was once a part of the kingdom of Arthedain, which was ruled over by your ancestors. The Witch-king of Angmar overran Arthedain, but the king and his son escaped. The king eventually died a few weeks later, so his son, Aranarth, inherited the leadership of the scattered and diminished northern Dúnedain. Except he did not take the title of King, instead taking the title of Chieftain since his father's realm was lost. That is where the line of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain began. This is your bloodline, Aragorn and you are etched in the wall in your rightful place. Here," Sauros said and pointed to the last name on the branches of the bloodline.

            "But that is impossible. Who would know? I have remained hidden for years and no one is down here to etch these names here," Aragorn said shocked as he glanced down to where Sauros pointed before looking back to the dragon.

            Both stared at each other before slowly turning and looking over at the skeleton resting in the chair. The eyeless holes in the skeleton's skull stared emptily back at them but seemed to be watching their every move around the room. The skeleton's hand was curled around an old quill pen next to a small ink jar. Aragorn slowly walked towards the table again and pulled away book that rested under the skeleton's body as slowly as he could. The skeletal frame shifted and finally released its hold upon the book as Aragorn pulled it in front of himself and carefully opened the book to the last entry in the book. Sauros moved to stand behind him as the Ranger found the last written entry and pushed it over to Sauros.

            "You read it. I can not bear to," he mumbled and moved away slowly.

            Sauros looked at the flowing script and took a deep breath before starting.

            "'_It is the first of March of the Third Age. A son has been born to Arathorn, son of Arador, and to Gilraen, daughter of Dírhael. He is named Aragorn, Kingly Valour; and he is set to accomplish many things in his life. He has his father's strength and courage and his mother's compassion. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring. Renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king.'_"

            Sauros looked up and at Aragorn as the human stared at his name on the wall. He was suddenly worried about the human and what was running through his head at the moment. It must be shocking to read something about oneself in a book that no one else knew about and really shouldn't physically be there seeing how a skeleton was the only person or thing that could write it. The etchings on the wall weren't easily explained either. Flipping through some of the other books, Sauros found that all of the books had accounts of people on the entire bloodline and one book consisted of the entire bloodline like it was on the wall. Sauros piled all the books together and cast one more glance at the skeleton, saying a small prayer for his spirit before turning to Aragorn.

            "Aragorn, we must be going. The others will start to worry," he said softly as the Ranger turned his head to look at him over his shoulder.

            "Aye, they will start to worry," he murmured and turned back to the wall before reached out to carefully drag the tips of his fingers across the etched name of his father.

            Locking away his emotions for the moment, Aragorn turned and helped Sauros pick up the heavy books from the table. Just before following Sauros out, something caught Aragorn's eye at the corner of the table and he stopped to look closer at it. Shifting the books to one arm, he wiped away the dust to get a better look at it.

            "Aragorn, are you coming?" Sauros asked, realizing that the human was not behind him when he reached the door.

            "Hold on a moment; I think I found something else," he muttered and ran his fingers across the fine etching in the wood.

            A few lines in Adûnaic were carved into the wooden table and there was a small, carved square next to the lines with a design in the center of it. His thumb went across the cut out square and his eyes widened as the square slowly sunk about an inch into the table. Looking at Sauros quickly to see if the dragon was watching, he tired to pull the square back up before it started something. Sauros suddenly felt a slight trembling under his feet as he looked down at the stone floor before slowly looking up and at Aragorn.

            "What did you touch, human?"

            "I just lightly touched it. I did not mean to," Aragorn yelped as Sauros hurried to his side.

            "What did you touch?"

            "That," he answered and pointed to the square as the trembling in the floor became more violent.

            Sauros leaned over the table and quickly translated the inscription as best as he could under the circumstances.

            "What does it read?"

            "Uh…the secrets of Elendil's line must be hidden till time to reveal…one must always be wary of those that serve the dark lord…press this in case of infiltration. You set off another booby trap, you prat!" Sauros snapped once he figured out the gist of the inscription. "I told you not to touch anything!"

            "Well, what is the trap?" Aragorn yelled and gripped the edge of the table to stay on his feet.

            "I'm not going to wait and find out."

            Sauros yanked off his coat and wrapped the books tightly in the bundle and motioned for Aragorn to do the same with his coat and books. Just when the finished in bundling the books, small chunks of the floor started to fall away to leave gaping holes in their place. The two of them started to back away while clutching the bundles to their chests and watching the floor disintegrate under their very feet.

            "I will have you know, human, that if we survive this then I will personally make sure that you never touch another thing in your long life. This is the third or fourth time that you have almost gotten me killed and I will exact my revenge," Sauros snapped just before the floor under him gave away and plunged him into the darkness.

            Aragorn soon followed with a yell as he plunged downwards into only Valar knows what after Sauros.

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I must say that I was rolling on the floor laughing my ass off when I finished writing this chapter. It is Indian Jones/Ranger to the rescue! *laughing hysterically* Oh my, this is just too funny. I am having way too much fun with Aragorn and Sauros, it must be illegal too have this much fun with those two. Heehee, I am so dangerous with a laptop and my stories.

**_Lauren-_** Girl, I was rolling on the floor laughing hysterically when I read your responses in the betaed chapter. I had the reread the funny lines and make sure that I had actually written them. Their relationship is just so hilarious, I swear, it is the comic relief of the story. It is, Heehee. So tell me something. I learned from your comments in the story that you are 19, so I assume you are either at college or working. Where? Just curious really; want to learn where my favorite beta people are.

**_Roccovende_****_-_** You are my official elvish speaking translator. Whenever I need something translated, I will call you. Coolio with you? Coolio with me. My plot bunnies are twisted little creatures in their own rights. Poppy was having way too much fun with this chapter; I think he put in all those sarcastic comments from Sauros for Twitch. Poppy has become the big protective big brother to Twitch. It is frightening.

**_SilverKnight7-_** I just love one-word reviews. So too the point. Updated!

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_** You have????? Eh gads, the world as we know it will come to an end! Heehee, do not mind me. I will go and check it out whenever I have time to just plain ole surf and not actually have to write anything.

**_Deana-_** Thank you so very much mellonin. I am glad that you enjoyed the chapter so much. Here is the Chapter 14 and I hope you enjoy it.

**_Leggylover03-_** Aragorn got himself into a lot of trouble underground. I thought it was quite hilarious actually. Sauros and he are just having so much fun together, in the words of Lauren: _One of them is going to kill the other one, my money is on the dragon._

****

**_Roz_****_-_** I have the movie somewhere in my collection. Eh, I will find it later on and watch it. You work at a vet clinic? Cool! I thought that line was just hilarious; I just had to put it in there.

**_HaloGatomon_****_-_** Well thank you very much for your enthusiasm. I am having way too much fun with Aragorn and this whole story and his antics. Having this much fun just has to be illegal, I swear it must.

**_Cloud-123-_** Thank you for the compliment. I will update as soon as I possibly can.

**_Isadora2-_** Guten Tag, Frau Isadora2. I am very glad that I made through my writer's block also. I always hate running into those; it is like running into a brick wall at full speed. Quite painful actually. *blushing* Well, Sauros thanks you for you enthusiasm and promises to stick around for a while. I will work as much as I can to quickly put up the next chapter but I am intending to post the next chapter to 'An Ancient Bond' after I post this chapter.

**_Grumpy-_** Thank you for the compliment. The next chapter will absolutely hilarious between Aragorn and Estel; I have the entire scene planned in my mind and I just fall over laughing every time I think about it and expand it. Heehee *snicker*, oh I am so bad.

**_Star-Stallion-_** I intended for people to laugh or at least chuckle when they read it. I know that I did. I have checked out your site and I would be honored to have my stories hosted there. You do me a great honor by offering and I respectfully accept if the offer is still on the table, Arwenamin (my lady) *holds hand over heart and bows while sweeping arm out to the side*. I would have emailed you a response earlier, but you have no email address on your author profile. You may choose which stories to post there, it is your site. I have no objections. If you do wish to post 'An Ancient Bond' then I wish to touch up small parts before you post it.

**_Catmint-_** I hope you enjoyed the story that I sent you too. I find it quite hilarious. 

**_XxgemxX_****_-_** *blushing* I thank you for the compliment and I still say that I am an average writer. Oh, and the question that no woman really wants to hear, LOL. How old are you? Heehee, well I have nothing to hide and am quite proud of myself. I am twenty years old and will turn 21 in October, whenever that month decides to hurry up and get here. How old are you?

**_Inu_****_ lover-_** Yes, this story is set before any of the movies or books. I am glad that you enjoy this story so much.

**_Elven_****_ Kitten-_** Yes, my poor little penguin. I think that I will name him 'Frosty', what do you think? Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others.

**_Legalady_****_-_** During the movie, I think that I only got teary eyed a few times. Just at the really emotional parts. Started cheering when Eowyn killed the Witch-king *as did the other females in the theater*. 

**_Lina Skye-_** Computers can be such a pain in the ass at times if they are not working correctly. Myrtle Beach in the house! *mutters to self: Holy shit, where did that come from?* Anyway, beachgoers are the best. Especially the men, very nice bodies, yummy. It is okay; I figured that probably happened to my email. I am guilty of it too, if I do not recognize the address or there is nothing noticeable in the subject bar, I usually delete it.

**_Lydia2-_** Elrond did? *grabs books and starts flipping through everything* Damn, where did I miss that? Ah, oh well, it is there somewhere I assume. I just knew that Elrond had them at Imladris for safekeeping. I do not remember him telling Aragorn about them but I could have totally forgotten about it. I am prone to things like that. Aragorn the first was a Ranger like Aragorn Elessar and if you look back in the chapter, I did not say that he was a king, it was just a statue (this is not being said evilly believe me, upon rereading the chapter, I could see how you could see it as him being a king). And have no fear; you did not offend me in the least.

**_Astievia_****_-_** Oh, that is freaky. Get out of my head!

**_Frodo16424-_** You love Sauros? I love Sauros too! Heehee, oh I need some sleep.

**_Andunea_****_ the Shapeshifter-_** I have a lot of comic relief in this chapter mixed with a bunch of fun exciting stuff. Dangit, I screwed up the dragon's color! I was writing this without having searched for a lot of the dragon's physical characteristics intending to search for it after I had the chapter written and I completely forgot. *slaps forehead* I am such a dip at times, I swear.

**_Snow-Glory-_** Aragorn got into a lot of trouble in this chapter. I thought it was hilarious actually.

**_Elvendancer_****_-_** I know, I know, I should not be skipping classes. But when I skip, I can usually be found writing. Does that make up for it? I hope it does. Writer's block is conquered and I hope that you had a marvelous vacation. Where did you go?


	15. Chapter 15

            Aragorn gasped when he suddenly submerged into ice cold water. Choking on the sudden mouth-full of water, he kicked powerfully towards the surface or at least in the direction that he hoped the surface was in. His head broke the surface but only succeeded in slamming into stone. The stars danced in his vision for a few moments as he struggled to keep his head above the water line. The underground river took up most of the space and only left a little bit for him to breath. His hand tightened on the bundle in his hands as the current pulled him along at an amazing pace. He thought that he could hear Sauros somewhere ahead of him but the sound of rushing water bouncing off the close walls was creating a cacophony of sound. No, wait; that was Sauros that he was hearing ahead of him in the river. The water couldn't scream curses at him and damn all the Valar upon him and his forefathers and descendants. Sauros probably had the ability to do so but Aragorn wasn't going to check. It wasn't like he actually tried to bring these kinds of things upon his friends and him. Well, okay, maybe he did this time when he touched that square thing on the table. He couldn't help it if he touched things, he was a human and it was natural. You tell a child to not touch something hot because it will burn the child, and what does the child do? Touch whatever it was that they were told not to touch. Like someone would lie to a child just to get them to touch it? Why can't he touch something and it actually create something good to happen? Mayhap Gandalf could help with that. He would have to check next time he meets up with the wizard. Or maybe Galadriel could do something about it. This was something he definitely wanted to look into some time later when he wasn't fighting for his life. Now back to his current predicament.

            The current was slamming him into the stone walls and into whatever it was that was blocking the river's path. It felt like boulders and a few times it became a wall when the river rushed around a bend. He already felt several bruises blossoming on his body as he rode the river down the dark tunnel. He suddenly heard Sauros yelp in pain which seemed closer that his earlier curses. The river swept around several turns and succeeded in slamming him into the wall every time. A moment later and a few more bruises later, Aragorn slammed into something hard and soft at the same time. His free hand automatically found a hand-hold and gripped it tightly as he turned to try and see what he hit.

            "You really did not have to run into me," Sauros growled, surprising Aragorn.

            The river apparently went around a sharp bend and Sauros had unfortunately missed the bend and had been slammed into the stone wall where a small depression was. The constant rush of water had worn an indentation into the wall and the pressure of the flowing water kept him trapped against the wall.  A moment later, Aragorn had slammed into him and now Sauros felt the wall start to fracture from the combined weight of the two men and the river.

            "Where are we?" Aragorn asked hoarsely from the water he had inadvertently swallowed.

            "About to go on another ride," Sauros said grimly as he felt the wall start to give and water press harder.

            "What?"

            The rest of Aragorn's question was replaced by a yell as the wall gave and both were washed away by the raging river.

            "Where are we going now?" he yelled forwards to Sauros as the dragon looked back at him.

            "Do you really think that I know the answer to that? You are the one that got us in this predicament in the first place," Sauros bellowed and held his bundle of books to his chest.

            "I did not do a thing!"

            "You touched something! That is all you had to do! Specifically after I told you not to!"

            The bickering continued between the dragon and human.

~~~~~~~~~~~

            "Where do you think they are?" Legolas asked Elladan as they sat by the campfire.

            "Not where. What do you think they are getting themselves into?" Elladan joked and cast a look over at his friend.

            "Good point. This is Aragorn we are talking about after all. I wonder who has killed who first?" Elrohir joked as Lina rolled her eyes.

            "What is that?" Glorfindel asked suddenly and pointed out towards the lake.

            Everyone turned to look as the sudden disruption of the lake. Towards the center of the lake the water was churning and bubbling up from something under the surface. Walking towards the edge of the lake, all of them waited for something else to happen. What happened was something none of them expected in the least. A geyser of water suddenly erupted from the lake and spewed water into the air along with two solid forms. Yelling voices could be heard from the geyser as the two forms flew into the air and hung there for a moment in suspension before falling down towards the water. The two forms hit the water hard as the geyser stopped spewing and everything was silent.

            "Do you really think-" Elrohir asked softly and looked over at everyone.

            "That is Aragorn and Sauros? I would bet my favorite bow on it," Elladan muttered and waited for any sign of the two to surface from the water.

            "It can not be. They could not possibly get into that much trouble," Lina said shocked as the two mystery figures broke the surface again and gasped for air.

            "It is them," Glorfindel muttered and rubbed his forehead.

            Elladan and Elrohir waded out to help the two as they neared the shore by slowly swimming. Aragorn was still coughing up water as he handed the bundle of books to Elladan and waded up to shore. Flicking his wet hair out of his face, he glared at Glorfindel and the twins with a scowl.

            "Not a word from any of you."

            He pulled off his soaking outer tunic and dropped it by the fire before he started to search for some dry clothing. Sauros shook off Elrohir's helping hands as he stalked up to the human.

            "We still have an argument to finish, human. And you need to learn an important lesson," he snapped while pointing at the Ranger.

            "I have learned my lesson well enough. I now know to never touch anything that could possibly set off a booby trap. It really was not my fault if you think about it," he replied and wiped away the dribble of blood from the cut on his cheek.

            Sauros' eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at the human. Handing the books he carried to Elrohir, he slowly walked towards Aragorn as the human slowly backed from the angered dragon. The others stepped away from the dragon, seeing the dangerous implications of standing too closely. Sauros was starting to think that the human must have hit his head somewhere along their adventure down the river and up the shoot to be propelled into the air.

            "'Not my fault'? 'Not my fault'! You were the one that bloody touched the damn square on the desk after I expressly told you to not touch another damn thing after the hallway. You almost get me cleaved in half by an axe; arrows shot at me from holes in the wall, and then take a death-defying leap over a gully that almost stopped my heart! And then we get into the room and you had to touch the square on the desk! I just have to ask you one question Aragorn…Do you want regular or extra crispy?"

            Sauros leapt after Aragorn as the human sprinted in the other direction. Aragorn swerved to the side to avoid Sauros as the dragon almost reached him. The horses shied away from the two yelling figures as everyone else tried to catch the two and keep them from killing each other. Well, actually more like keep Sauros from killing Aragorn and scattering his body parts. They heard him say something about chopping off the human's hands and burying them so deep that no one would ever have the chance of finding them. Elladan was surprised when Aragorn was able to spin around him without the elf even touching him just a bit. The human could be surprisingly agile when he wanted to be.

            "I did not mean it Sauros! I never expected any of those things to happen!" Aragorn yelped and dodged Glorfindel and Lina when they tried to block his way.

            He didn't know why they were trying to stop him and not Sauros. It was the dragon that wanted to kill him. Well, they might have been trying to stop Sauros but he imagined that they just wanted to keep them separated.

            "Oh, I know. That is why I am not going to hurt you too badly. Just enough that you will not touch anything else again when told not to!"

            Sauros launched himself forward and caught Aragorn around his legs as the two tumbled to the ground. The dragon pinned the human to the ground and allowed himself to merge into his dragon form just a bit so that his fingers changed into sharp talons. Leaning over the human, Sauros held his talons in front of Aragorn's face and watched as the human's eyes widened. 

            "Whenever you are with me, if you touch another thing that you have no inclination as to what it is. Then I will use these. I have not lived as long as Arda to just be killed by someone who 'felt' like touching something and sets off a chain reaction," Sauros said sternly. "Am I understood?"

            "Perfectly. Now get off me, dragon," Aragorn replied and glared up at the dragon.

            "Do you swear to never touch another thing that could set off a booby trap?"

            "Yeah, right. Good luck on trying to keep him to that promise," Legolas muttered and rested his arm on Elladan's shoulder.

            "This is none of your concern Legolas so stay out of this argument," Aragorn snapped as Sauros stood and offered a hand to Aragorn.

            "Are you two going to tell us what you have managed to get yourselves into again or not? I would really like a good story," Elrohir asked as Sauros stepped away to change form into his dragon body.

            "Let the human tell you. I just may fall over laughing again," Sauros said and cast a glare at Aragorn.

            "Yeah, you would," Aragorn said dryly as he pulled off his soaking wet clothes and laid them next to the fire.

            Glorfindel and Lina were looking over the books that the two had brought up with them. Elladan handed Aragorn his set of dry clothing before moving across the campsite and kneeling next to the elf and woman as they flipped through the books. He picked up one of the other books and scanned over the first few pages. The information in the book was startling to say the least. He had no idea that someone was working so hard to put history down on parchment of the Isildur Bloodline. The etchings were detailed and exact as well as the images presented on the parchment sheets in the book. The weapons looked deadly and ready for use in a battle from the drawings and detail put into the depictions. Elladan looked up when Aragorn sat next to him and everyone else circled around the fire.

            "Estel, where did you find these books? They are amazingly detailed all the way up to now," Glorfindel asked amazed as everyone took a book and started to read it.

            "We found all these books at the end of the hallway in a big room. Along the wall was a family tree of Isidur's line and I mean all of the members are the way up to me. There is no visible way that someone would be able to get into that room, at least not the way that we got in. The only other person in that room was the skeleton at the table and I doubt that he did all of that work," Aragorn said as Sauros curled around himself next to the small group.

            "Are you going to tell them what we had to go through to get to that room?" Sauros asked and locked gazes with the human.

            "I will whenever we need a good fire-side story and that time is not now. These books were the only things in that room worth any importance. We need to look for any reference to Glaurung or the Order of Glaurung or dragons or anything that could we could use."

            Everyone started to read the books and scanned the text for any information that they could need. There were a few references here and there but nothing devoted to the specific topic that they wanted to read about. Aragorn started to make a soothing paste for his bruises while the others read and Sauros lazily blew sulfur rings into the air. Several of his bruises were extremely tender to the touch and he flinched while lathering the dark blue spots with the soothing paste. The tautness eased and allowed his muscles to loosen and allow him to finally relax.

            "Since this is so exciting, I am going to take a nap. Wake me if anymore floors fall out from under me or if Aragorn touches something," Sauros commented and glanced over at the human as he shot a glare at the dragon.

            "Do we really want to hear about what happened down there?" Legolas questioned with a partially joking smile.

            "Probably not," Sauros mumbled softly as his eyes closed and he slipped into a light doze.

            "You had floors fall out from under you?" Elladan asked as he looked up from the book he was reading through.

            "Really long story. I will tell it to you sometime," Aragorn said aloud to them before dipping his head and mumbling "When all of you are in a drunken sleep and will not remember."

            "What was that Strider?" Legolas asked, hearing the mumbling but not the specific words.

            "Nothing, mellonin," he smiled in reply and Legolas narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to reply.

            "I found something!" Elrohir suddenly yelped and pointed towards his book.

            Everyone jumped from their seats and crowded around Elrohir as he read the text aloud. "Those who are searching for the Order of Glaurung have traveled a great distance. Many more furlongs are before you of which you must still tread. The next instructions are on the next page and may you succeed on your travels."

            The son of Elrond quickly flipped over to the next page and everyone felt their hopes come smashing to the ground. The text was just a jumble of letters that just meshed together and had no meaning. It looked far worse than the simple number to letter code that Lina understood.

Zpvs rvftu nvtu cf usvf jg zpv ibwf dpnf uijt gbs

Uif Psefs pg Hmbvsvoh nvtu opu cf ublfo mjhiumz

Uif rvftu jt opu gps uif gppmt bu ifbsu boe xfbl pg dpvsbhf.

Zpvs ofyu eftujobujpo jt uif djuz pg Hpoepmjo ofbs uif Dsjttbfhsjn.

Tuboe cz uif Upxfs pg uif Ljoh boe cfc f dp pvoufe bnpoh uif usfft.

Hbaj vqpo uif sfbmn pg uif Fbhmft boe bu uif qfsdi pg Uipspoeps.

Uifsf xjmm cf xifsf zpv nvtu tuboe.

            The only line that made sense was the last line which Elrohir read out loud.

            "To shift one to the left is to shift one to the right. Shift to the left and you will always be right."

            "What could that possibly mean?" Glorfindel asked and a few looked to Lina.

            "I have no idea. The line in Westron must be the code of some sorts. It should help us to solve the phrase, but that is only a guess. It means nothing to me," she said and shrugged her shoulders.

            "Marvelous," Legolas muttered and stood up behind the others. "We have directions to where to go next and it is in code; a code which we can not read. And a dragon from Morgoth's era is about to be released to reap terror on Middle-Earth."

//////////////

Okay, is everyone ready to hear a really funny story? I hope so. Okay, so last week I had Spring Break from school so I went home and did the normal at home thing. That went great; worked on my stories, slept in late, chilled out. Well, things started to go downhill Sunday evening. For those that do not know, I am a diabetic and on Sunday my pump was not working at full capacity. Well my blood sugar continued to climb and then I got sick and then Monday morning my friend rushed me to the Emergency Room. They stabbed me, poked me, prodded me, and turned me into a pin cushion. I stayed at the hospital till Thursday morning. Every hour I would get my blood sugar checked (which included pricking my fingers) and then every three or four hours I would have blood drawn. My left hand had an IV in it and my right arm was at the mercy of the blood drawing people. Well, while stuck in the hospital I asked my father to bring my laptop and my disk that contained this story. Well, he brought the laptop but somehow he…prepare yourself…lost the disk! Well, after freaking out a bit to myself. I worked on other stories and then when I got home this morning I started to search for the disk. I did not find it anywhere in my room. I asked my dad where he thought he may have dropped it and he said it might have fallen out in the hallway. So now my stories are out in the open for anyone to read, alter, or destroy the chapter (this chapter as a matter in fact). Well, on the whimsical chance that someone may have turned it in; I go down to the front desk and ask if anyone has turned in a desk they found in the hallway. And lo and behold! There is my lovely disk! I was just so damn giddy I could not stand it. So, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I will work on the next chapter as much as I can with school and catching up in my classes.

**OH MY GOD! I HIT 200 REVIEWS! I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT *throws confetti everywhere* I LOVE ALL OF YOU! YOU GUYS JUST ROCK MY WORLD! But really, I do love all you people out there in reader land. All of you keep my writing and my imagination flowing.**

**_Deana-_** I knew that I would have chapters to read when I got out of the hospital and I saw yours in my inbox. The hospital did not have internet connection so I had no contact to the internet world…*shakes head* it a nightmare.

**_Star-Stallion-_** You really need to send me your email address. Just tell me whenever you are ready to post and I will touch everything up for you.

**_Tychen_****_-_** Sauros is that little sarcastic voice in the back of everyone's head that always comments on everything. Mine sometimes speaks out loud and it gets me in trouble.

**_HaloGatomon_****_-_** I am glad that you enjoyed that chapter so much. I do not know how I made that chapter that funny. It all just started to flow.

**_Frodo16424-_** Sauros is my favorite character out of all of them. Aragorn is…he is just…it is something with him and touching things. I find it hilarious.

**_Astievia_****_-_** My brother and I have a very unique relationship. I can drive him up the wall with just a simple look and he gets totally paranoid. It is hilarious to watch.

**_Catmint-_** Sarcasm is a very definite art that requires precision and finesse. I am proud to say that I have perfected this art as much as physically possible for me. I was making sarcastic and comical remarks when I was in the blood Emergency room for bloody sake.

**_Elvendancer_****_-_** I had a good Spring Break until I got back.

**_Bill the Pony2-_** I just could not put in the boulder; it would have been too similar to Indiana Jones. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the other.

**_Isadora2-_** *bows deeply* Well thank you very much mellonin. I think at the end of the story I will have the twins pull a prank and give Aragorn a present with a sign that says something like that. We are on first name basis? I did not get the memo. Well, anyway, Guten Abend Isadora2! Mir gehts sehr gut und du?

**_Grumpy-_** I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the others.

**_XxgemxX_****_-_** *sighs* Thirteen is such a good age. Let me tell you, you had better enjoy it because everything goes to pot when you get older. But I am glad that you enjoyed this chapter so much.

**_SilverKnight7-_** Aragorn must enjoy getting himself into trouble. It has to be in his blood.

**_Legalady_****_-_** I am glad that you enjoyed this chapter so much. I tried really hard to make the chapter enjoyable. 'An Ancient Bond' is in progress and I hope to get it out soon.

**_Elven_****_ Kitten-_** I am working on the stories as much as physically possible.

**_Roccovende_****_-_** *slams head on desk* My poor arms hurt from typing. I have a huge bruise on my arm from where they were stabbing me and the bruise presses right against the edge of my laptop. So one of my arms is arched slightly to take the weight off of my lower arm. My plot bunnies have had a serious vacation while I was off at the hospital. I had to call in the trappers to hunt down and catch my plot bunnies. The thing with the coat, I figured that the coat was a part of him as a dragon. He made himself form clothes, weapons, and everything else. I know that it is kind of hard to grasp but that is what I imagined.

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_** I am glad that you enjoyed the previous chapter so much and hope that you enjoy this one. Till next time.

**_Leggylover03-_** It happens to all kids…well not to me. When my mother told me to not lick a cold pole because my tongue would stick, I believed her. Might be because I was smart and licked my finger to stick it on a metal bar in the freezer part of the refrigerator. My finger stuck a bit so I assumed that my tongue would stick to a pole. Probably the only smartest thing that I have ever done. Heehee.

**_Snow-Glory-_** Glaurung is not 'attached' or 'inhabiting' Legolas anymore so have no fear. Sauros Jr. will come along at the end of this story or in the next…if I write one after this.

**_Alariel_****_-_** I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. It normally does not take me this long but as it said up in the author's note there really was a good reason. I will take your advice into close consideration and keep it in mind. Thank you for reviewing my story.

**_Andunea_****_ the Shapeshifter-_** Yes, poor, poor Sauros. Glaurung is gold, or at least he was gold when he was first alive. But when he died and came back then he came back as a black dragon. That is my story and I am sticking to it. Just humour the author. Heehee. I will work on 'Purest Heart of Mirkwood' just for you. I can not promise anything but I will try and work on it.

**_Hiei-Rulez_****_-_** Heehee, it would be really bad if I just decided to stop working on this story and leave you hanging. I think that if I did then you would find out my address and hunt me down. You would. I will try and get around you reading your story; I promise I will but I can not promise anything. My time is severely limited right now since my little visit to the hospital.

**_WickedMagic_****_-_** *bows with hand over heart and sweeps it out to the side* Hannon lle mellonin. I am glad that you like my story so much. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

            "Do you understand it?" Elladan asked and glanced over at Lina.

            She shook her head as everyone stared at the code as if waiting for it to solve itself. Glorfindel rolled his eyes and moved over to kneel behind Aragorn and look over his bruises and scrapes from his ride down the river. The human hissed softly when the elf lightly touched one of the more colorful and extensive bruises that adorned his back. Aragorn motioned for his brother to pass the book over to him and dropped it in front of him while Glorfindel looked over his sores. 'To shift one to the left is to shift one to the right. Shift to the left and you will always be right.' Shoving the book away a few inches with his fingers, he stared at the wording while Glorfindel bandaged the small scrapes that were bleeding. His leg started to bounce up and down in pent up energy as he stared at the words.

            "I have to move," he said suddenly and jumped up, surprising everyone.

            "You have to what?" Legolas asked as he watched the agitated human grab a tunic.

            "I need to move around; walk, run, jog, climb a tree, I do not know but I must do something," he said and started walking towards the broken parts of the city while pulling the tunic on.

            Glorfindel waved down Legolas and the twins before he jogged after the human. His hearing easily tracked his footsteps and he quickly caught up to his human charge. Aragorn was taking random turns here and there to see what all he could find while he was pondering over the line.

            "Are you purposely trying to get lost?" Glorfindel asked as he followed the human.

            "I just might be. We might be able to find some really old wine somewhere in one of these buildings if we look for it. I am sure there were taverns in this city once upon a time."

            "Oh, I am sure there were. But we do not know where they might be and you could walk into a building that may collapse around you."

            "Well, at least you are here with me," he snickered in reply and ducked into a shop.

            "Estel!" the March Warden hissed as he heard clattering in the dark shop.

            "Relax, Glorfindel. If there are any hints that the shop will collapse then I will out of here so fast that you would be proud of me. Being the brother to Elladan and Elrohir has taught me to be very quick on my feet," the voice replied from the darkness.

            "Yes, well, being the brother to those two terrors would teach a cave troll to be quick on his feet," Glorfindel muttered and jumped slightly when Aragorn suddenly appeared from the doorway.

            "What was that my dear Glorfindel? Did I hear you right? 'Those two terrors'?" Aragorn asked with a bright smile as he walked down the way and glanced in the other shops.

            "You know exactly what I am speaking of. You know of how trying your two brothers can be when the mood strikes them," the golden haired elf replied as he followed Aragorn down the empty street.

            "Oh, yes, I do know how they can become very trying. Have you ever noticed that I usually leave to visit the Rangers about the time when they attain that 'mood'? I know when it is a good time to run and hide from them," he said and looked over his shoulder at Glorfindel.

            The elf stopped and stared at the human's back as his memory snapped back to those occasions. He did remember the human suddenly saying that he had to leave to visit the Rangers. One occasion was when one of the Rangers had actually come to see him the day before and said everything was running smoothly. His eyes narrowed at the memory and remembered that time to be one of the worst from the twins. His hair had been blue for a week and a half and he wouldn't accept any food that he hadn't seen prepared in front of him for at least four days. Elrond had been hard pressed to keep his advisor away from his sons after that.

            "You do know that it was unwise for you to tell me that when you and I are out here alone…with no witnesses," Glorfindel growled as Aragorn chuckled and ducked into another dark shop.

            "I found the forge," Aragorn called out to the elf as Glorfindel slowly walked into the darkened shop.

            Aragorn slowly moved down the wall and looked at the swords in various stages of being completed that hung on the wall. Dust and cobwebs covered everything making it all seem dim and dull. A metal sledgehammer used to shape hot metal rested on the anvil, forgotten by the previous owner. The furnace was dark and cold, a relic of ages and years long past and only resided in history. Aragorn looked at the sheet covering the large table against the wall and slowly walked towards it. Glorfindel was off against the far wall looking at some elegant double blades that he found wrapped in burlap. Aragorn reached out and pulled back the sheet with a thick cloud of dust. Coughing a bit and waving his hand in front of his face to clear it, he looked at the objects on the table and carefully lifted the black leather scabbard. The cloth had kept all the dust off the weapon and he could tell that a large amount of effort, respect, and love went into this scabbard.

            "A lot of renowned blades were created here by the forge master. Swords and weapons of high stature to grace the hands of the kings, your ancestors Aragorn. Narsil may have been forged here. A sword of kings," Glorfindel commented softly as Aragorn slowly wrapped his hand around the handle.

            "Not a sword of kings, Narsil is the sword of kings," Aragorn stated and pulled the blade from the scabbard.

            The steel rang sharply and clearly as it slid from the scabbard for the first time in ages. Aragorn almost felt the air still and the world hold its breath as the blade shimmered from the minimal light that came in from a window. The blade almost seemed to hum with strength as Aragorn slowly moved out of the building and set the scabbard aside. Glorfindel followed him after he set down the double blades and watched as the human swung the blade around him, skimming closely to his body. Aragorn felt the sword move silently around him as he walked a few steps before he turned and arched the sword above his head. The polished metal clashed sharply with metal from another sword and he looked up sharply at Glorfindel. The golden haired elf held his sword high, blocking Aragorn's as he locked gazes with the human.

            "Let us see how good you are with that new blade."

            Glorfindel's sword dropped and arched towards Aragorn's unprotected midriff as the human jumped away. His instincts kicked in immediately and he spun as the sword knocked away Glorfindel's blade. His feet moved lightly as the two swords clashes sharply against each other and occasional sparks flew from the force of the hits. It had been a while since Glorfindel had sparred with Aragorn and he could tell that the human's skill had greatly improved since the last time. His blows were sometimes powerful enough to make the elf back a few steps and give some ground. Aragorn mirrored Glorfindel's every move and parried him for every thrust and there was a feint for every lunge. Aragorn was hard pressed to keep up with Glorfindel's quick moves but sparring with the twins and Legolas had taught him the valuable lesson of staying quick on his feet and acting almost like a liquid. Both knew how close they could push the blades and remain unharmed unless something drastic happened that disrupted their timed movements. Glorfindel moves to his right, Aragorn moves to his left. It was a deadly dance that only the best would come out of it alive, but they weren't fighting to the death. While fighting, unbeknownst to him, Aragorn's mind was slowly dissecting the line that could solve the code. The words were slowly pulled apart and were looked at from each direction for what it could mean. Slowly, the solution was emerging and everything was being pieced together. When the solution was completed it barged its way to the front of Aragorn's mind and he suddenly gasped.

            "That is it!" he yelped in shock as his body lurched forward a few inches in shock.

            A blinding pain in his upper arm pulled him abruptly from his realization. Aragorn's sudden yelp and momentary stop of movement had not let him see the blow coming from Glorfindel. It was a simple move that would have easily been parried if he hadn't realized that he knew what the code meant. Unable to check his swing soon enough and totally avoid Aragorn when he lunged forward, the tip of Glorfindel's blade streaked down Aragorn's arm. The slice went from the top of Aragorn's bicep to just a few inches above his wrist to cause blood too immediately pump from the wound. His hand automatically released its hold on the sword handle and he collapsed onto his knees as his other hand clutched at a part of the wound.

            "Estel!" Glorfindel gasped and quickly fell to his knees and dropped his sword beside him.

            Aragorn hissed in pain as his hand tightened on his arm. The wound was not extremely deep but deep enough to cause a great deal of pain and allow the blood to flow freely down his arm. Glorfindel pulled off his outer tunic and pressed it against the wound before bending a little to look into Aragorn's eyes.

            "Estel? Speak to me, please."

            "I know how to decipher the code. It has been right in front of us the entire time," he hissed and looked around for the sword that he dropped. "We need to get back to camp."

            "Estel, your arm," Glorfindel protested as the human gripped the sword with his weak hand.

            "We will tend to it when we get back to camp. Nothing can be done here," he said and struggled to his feet.

            Glorfindel grabbed his sword and slipped it into his scabbard before taking the sword from Aragorn's hand. Wrapping an arm around the human's waist, Glorfindel found the other scabbard and secured the other sword to his waist. Helping Aragorn walk straight, the two slowly made their way back to the campsite as Aragorn forced the pain down. He really wished that the twins and Legolas weren't at the campsite; he did not want to be mothered again by all four of them. He knew that Glorfindel was feeling extremely guilty for wounding him and the others would find some reason to feel guilty. It was inevitable, he knew it was. Either they would all feel guilty or they would lecture him something awful. Rolling his eyes, they rounded a corner and came into view of the campsite. For a few moments, no one noticed that they were there but Aragorn was waiting for it.

            "Glorfindel, please, just leave me somewhere and you go to get the healing supplies. They are going to be unbearable when they see what happens," Aragorn hissed to the golden haired elf as they neared the camp.

            "Strider!"

            "Oh Valar. Here we go," Aragorn muttered as Legolas' cry alerted everyone.

            "What happened?"

            "Who injured you?"

            "Where is the wound?"

            "Enough!" Glorfindel barked and silenced the younger elves. "Estel does not need you three hovering over him. As to answer your questions, a sword wielded by me wounded him. We were sparring and he was distracted and I could not check my blow quick enough. I will tend to the wound myself."

            Everyone backed away realizing that the older elf was not in the mood to be challenged. Glorfindel helped Estel over to the bedrolls and lowered the human to one of them. Aragorn carefully moved out of his tunic as Glorfindel brought over the pack of healing herbs and sat next to the human. The bleeding had overall stopped except for a few places that slowly seeped blood but those were also on the verge of stopping. Moistening a cloth with disinfectant, Glorfindel gently wiped down the slash wound and softly apologized whenever Aragorn flinched.

            "Do not apologize, Glorfindel. It was not your fault," Aragorn replied as the elf readied a needle and thread to stitch the worst parts.

            "It was partially my fault but it was also partially your fault. You should have been paying better attention, Estel. It was a good thing that I was not trying to kill you. But do not worry, I know that it was an accident and nothing could have prevented it," the elf stated and with nimble hands started to stitch.

            Aragorn flinched as the thin needle pierced the flesh of his arm. He looked across the campfire to where everyone else sat and saw Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas occasionally look over at him worried. The book with the code lay open in front of Elladan as the elf poured over it and tried to break the code. The human faintly smiled when he thought over the code. It was ingenious yet extremely simple; the majority of orcs were too dim-witted to decipher it but it was simple for the learned humans or elves.

            "Elladan!" Aragorn called to catch the elf's attention. "Write out the letter alphabet of the Westron language somewhere. In the dirt would be fine, as long as we can see it."

            The elf looked confused but followed his little brother's instructions. Glancing down at his arm, Aragorn patiently waited as Glorfindel finished stitching the wound and lathered it with a healing salve. Wrapping his entire arm with clean linen, Glorfindel nodded to Aragorn and let the human move over to his brothers. Glancing at the first word in the code, Aragorn looked at the written out letters that Elladan had written and slowly looked at the letters.

            "That is it! The first word is: Your. The correct letter is the one to the left of the letter in the book. If the letter is B, then the real letter is A. If the letter is C, then the real letter is B and so on," Aragorn said excitedly as Elrohir started to scribble down the deciphered code.

Your quest must be true if you have come this far

The Order of Glaurung must not be taken lightly

The quest is not for fools at heart and weak of courage.

Your next destination is Gondolin near the Crissaegrim

Stand by the Tower of the King and be counted among the trees

Gaze upon the realm of the eagles and at the perch of Thorodor

There will be where you stand.

            Everyone looked up at each other once Elrohir finished translating and reading the code out loud. Sauros was snoring softly at the edge of the camp, oblivious to all that was going on around the camp. Glorfindel was staring at Elrohir once he finished reading the code and his memory retreated back to his previous home of Gondolin. Well, if you could call is his previous home. It had been his home before he had died after defeating the Balrog but that had been many ages ago. He had fallen during the Fall of Gondolin when he secured the escape of Tuor and Idril with their son Eärendil. In his mind, he could still see the city in all its glory when Turgon had first built the Hidden City upon the island of Amon Gwareth. Turgon made Glingal and Belthil, trees of gold and silver made in memory of the Two Trees of Valinor.

            "We ride to Gondolin then?" he asked quietly and dropped his gaze for a moment before looking back up.

            "It looks that way, Glorfindel. Will Glaurung be there?"

            "I highly doubt it. Gondolin the city may be lost but the land still retains the elvish strengths. A power of evil such as Glaurung would not be allowed to remain in Gondolin. The eagles would drive it away or destroy it," the golden haired elf replied forcefully.

            "We should leave tomorrow then."

            Everyone turned and looked at Sauros as he slowly climbed to his feet and stretched out his neck before stretching out his wings. His forked tongue flickered out and tasted the wind before looking down at the others. Sauros knew of Gondolin, he visited the Hidden City once in a while to remember what Middle-Earth use to be like. Before the city had fallen, he had known several elves there and had been good friends with all of them. He had heard of Glorfindel of Gondolin but did not have the pleasure of meeting the elf. During that time was when dragons were starting to be seen as agents of Melkor and it was becoming more dangerous for Sauros to venture out.

            His gaze turned to the human and focused in on the bandaged arm before looking up to his face and narrowing his eyes.

            "What did the human touch?"

////////////

My life is spinning out of control, I swear it is. Only 25 more days till I am finished with school and get to go home! But to get there I have to go through exams *slumps to the floor*. The plot bunnies are taking over and breeding. Poppy and Twitch mated and produced an offspring. That story will coming out soon if I can find time to write it. I hate it when my plot bunnies breed together. They do not even go through the blood tests, or get a certificate, do not even ask the parents (me) and…and…*sighs* Yeah, anyway.

**_Leggylover03- _**Short review. Ha! Sorry, I am in an odd mood right now.

**_Elven Kitten-_** No, it really was not that fun. But hey, it makes me me.

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_** I do not do French. I do German, but not French. Do not worry; it is about three minutes to one in the morning while I am typing this.

**_Gwyn_****_-_** I apologize for taking so long to update this story. Life is becoming hectic.

**_XxgemxX_****_-_** I just adore Sauros. I really do. A few days ago I was talking to my good friend who is a fan of LotR and my stories. We were talking about Saruman and I could not think of his name. Because there is Saruman, Sauron, and Sauros. Sauros is one letter away from being Sauron. Yeah, I was having problems.

**_Someone _****_Reading-_** I will admit that I was wrong to have Lina be in this story so much as a grown up. I was not looking far enough in the story when I first wrote her in. I actually plan on killing her eventually. I am not angry; I know that I went a little too far with Lina. I shall deal with her eventually; before the story finishes.

**_Hiei-Rulez_****_-_** It is finally updated! Sauros is just hilarious. He is such the comic relief in this story. Gah, I love him. And it is true about humans. You tell us not to touch something and what do we do? Touch it.

**_Astievia_****_-_** Oh yeah, those Elrond looks are very potent when used correctly. I have made a few of my teachers cringe when I give them the look. Several of them just do not look at me anymore.

**_Elvendancer_****_-_** Well, I applaud your brother! I know how hard it can be at times. If he ever wants to talk about it, I am here. But, anyway, enjoy the new chapter.

**_Catmint-_** Aragorn will never learn, but that is why we all love him.

**_Lauren-_** GAH! Your comments just cracked me up. I was rolling on the floor holding my stomach it was so funny. We are so bad, but it is so much fun.

**_Grumpy-_** The few humans that do have that touch are turning into an endangered species because they piss people off so much that they usually end up dieing by strange circumstances. I am one of those people. I can annoy one of my friends to the point where she wants to push me out in front of a speeding car.

**_Legalady_****_-_** I am so sorry about taking so long to update! I really do not mean to take so long *sobs*. Well, maybe I should just stop writing. *sobs one more time* I am okay now. I think *sniffle*.

**_Roz_****_-_** I have no idea how long this story is going to be. It will be as long as it needs to be; does that answer your question? I hope it does. It is turning out to be longer than Unspoken Words. My stories are taking over my life.

**_Cloud-123-_** Oh, I was resisting the urge, believe me. He was apologizing about it and I said calmly (or as calmly as I could) Do not worry Dad. It was not that important. Meanwhile I am screaming inside my head.

**_Snow-Glory-_** I was laughing too. I just loved the imagery of that chapter. I do not know what I should write after this story! I have not had a plot bunny born for the next one yet. I will have to ask Poppy to bring in one of his relatives. 

**_Dha_****_-Gal-_** The skittles are going with the other skittles stash in my food cubby. I swear I have more candy in my room which should be allowed for a diabetic.

**_ELFan_****_-_** I am very proud to be the bright spot in your otherwise hum-drum days. Enjoy the new chapter.

**_Star-Stallion-_** *jaw drops in shock* YOU DID DECIPHER IT! Oh my god, I never expected anyone to actually try and decipher it! I did mess up here and there but it is hard to type those nonsense words and actually get them all right. I feel extremely honored right about now knowing that you took the time to try and decipher it. Was it easy? Did you understand the 'Move one to the left and you will always be right'? Gah, I am so happy that you deciphered it!


	17. Chapter 17

            "There might be a small problem with traveling to Gondolin," Sauros interjected suddenly and everyone turned to him.

            "What is it?" Legolas asked as Sauros looked to Glorfindel.

            "Several eons after the city fell, the Valar remade the Earth and Gondolin was lost under the sea. And the last I remember, elves do not handle it well when they are near the sea. The next leg of our adventure may be problematic," he explained and Aragorn softly swore under his breath.

            "So what do we do now? We very well can not go under water to get to the city," Elladan said as Sauros stared off into the sky.

            "I might be able to help with that. Aurora has some relatives that live around the sea in that area. They might be able to help us."

            "We should leave now. We do not know how much time we have left. Glaurung could be released tomorrow for all we know. Everyone pack and smother the fire," Aragorn instructed and stood from his seat.

            Aragorn started to pack one of the travel packs one handed while everyone moved around the camp to pack everything up. His wounded arm was practically useless with gripping anything tightly. The wounded limb remained close to his body to remain protected as he picked up one of the leather bound books and slid it into the travel pack. Muttering swear words under his breath, he struggled with the thick book and pack before a pair of pale hands entered his line of vision. Glorfindel took the book from him and slid it into the pack and secured the flap to keep the book inside and keep any dirt out.

            "Estel, I want you to know how sorry I am for your wound that I inflicted."

            "Glorfindel, I accept your apology but there really is no need for one. It was my fault for becoming distracted like I did. It should never have happened in the first place," Aragorn commented quietly. "I have sustained worse injuries from sparring with Legolas and the twins."

            "Aye, you have young one. You have been subject to far too much pain and torment for someone your age. Your eyes have seen too much war and death when it should not be that way. I understand now when Elrond says that you have grown up too quickly and misses the times when you were a child. Always curious about nature and knowing nothing of the pain in the outside world," he mumbled to the human as Aragorn dropped his gaze to stare at the ground.

            "But I can not ignore the world forever, Glor. It will always be there, waiting for me and waiting for more death and pain. Ignoring it and believe that it will never come here or will never have to be a part of it will only bring death and pain. It just comes more slowly than other places," Aragorn replied quietly to keep the conversation between him and the elf lord.

            "That is a very realistic outlook on life, Estel. I hope your outlook and everything you have seen has not served to harden you beyond feelings of compassion and love."

            "I get plenty of that when I come home to Rivendell, have no worry about that. And if I ever want an overprotected sibling or friend then I will remain in Rivendell or go to Mirkwood and get myself injured in the process," Aragorn joked with a faint smile.

            "Please do not do that, Estel. Your father is unbearable to be around when you are seriously injured, believe me, I know of this for a fact. Your brothers are also difficult to deal with. Just remain healthy for all of us and for my sanity."

            Aragorn laughed and carried the travel pack towards Sauros. He did sometimes worry about Glorfindel but it was natural for him to worry about anyone that had the charge of protecting his twin siblings. They could easily drive a man, elf, dwarf or any other being to insanity if they put their minds to it; and that was quite often actually when he thought about it. One look at their tutor was proof enough; Aragorn didn't know if the poor elf had finally lost that consistent twitch at the corner of his eye. Everyone had finally learned to never say one of the twins' names around the tutor or the poor elf would go into shock and retreat into himself; Aragorn never thought it was that bad. But then again, he did run whenever the twins got into one of their moods. Sometimes he really worried about his father whenever the twins, Legolas, and he came home in various stages of needing healing which was quite often he knew. Elrond could get some very nasty glares going when all four of them were injured and it was because of some originally small incident that exploded in their face and became far worse than possibly imagined. And it always seemed to happen with Legolas and he was together, funny thing he thought, it must have been a conspiracy.

            The camp was soon packed up and everyone was ready to leave. Sauros nudged everyone up onto his back and ensured that everyone was well seated before taking flight. His powerful wings pounded forcefully against the air and lifted into the thin and cool air to glide effortlessly along the wind. The ground sped by under them as they traveled towards the coast and Gondolin atop a dragon. Aragorn flexed his arm against his chest and felt the stitches pull and looked down at his arm as the wind blew his hair around him. Looking down at his hand, he looked at his palm and saw a pale scar that marred his flesh. He had many scars on his body but this one was more important than the others. Years ago, when he thought that Legolas would forever be a mute and his breathing tube had pierced his palm. He remembered what he was thinking and feeling as Thranduil banned him from Mirkwood and from seeing his friend. The dismay, disappointment, and shame that he felt keenly upon his soul that day. His other hand came up and a finger brushed over the scar as he stared at it.

            Legolas leaned over and looked at whatever had Aragorn's attention so intently. He watched as his friend fingered the scar that Legolas recognized. He had wondered where the scar had come from when he had seen it in Tharbad.

            "What is so interesting about that scar?" he asked and watched as Aragorn turned to look at him from the corner of his eye.

            Aragorn remained silent for a moment, lost in his own thoughts while he looked over his friend's face. How often had he seen that face break into a relieved grin upon learning that his friend would survive from some injury? How often had they joked between each other in jest and talking of their lives? How many times did he owe his life to Legolas and vice versa? The number was too large to count and somewhat comforting. It was not a burden that weighed heavily upon him; it was almost like a security blanket that assured him that his friend was there and would remain there for some time. It was a comfort, a comfort he would never give up. Weakly smiling to his friend, he looked down at the scar again.

            "A scar born from an act in the past," he muttered and rested his palm against his chest.

            "Really? How is your arm?"

            "Fine. It was just a flesh wound, I am fine."

            Legolas raised an eyebrow and vowed to question the human later that day about the scar and how his arm was faring. He hated it when Aragorn had that look in his eyes implying that he knew something that no one else knew. Looking ahead, he saw the blue of the ocean and felt the distinct sea longing rise up. He dropped his head to rest his forehead against Aragorn's back, between his shoulder blades and struggled to block the longing. Turning and seeing his friend's distress, Aragorn leaned forward and spoke quietly in Sauros' ear seeing as how he was the closet to the dragon's head. Nodding slightly as he flew, Sauros pressed into the elves' minds and blocked the part of the sea longing to isolate it and prevented the elves from being aware of it. The elves just felt a momentary bout of dizziness before the longing faded away and hid in the back of their minds. Sauros spread his wings and glided down to the earth before starting to back beat the wind and softly landed on the rocky cliffs. Lowering his body to the ground, his passengers climbed off and looked out across the turbulent water of the ocean.

            "How is it that I am this close to the ocean and yet I do not feel the sea longing?" Legolas murmured as the sea gulls' calls echoed from the shore.

            "That is my doing, Master Elf. I have isolated the sea longing in your mind. I apologize if you do not wish it, but Master Aragorn suggested that it might be the best thing," Sauros replied as Legolas nodded.

            "It is the best thing, Master Dragon. The longing has been known to render me senseless for a time when I am afflicted by it," Legolas replied and looked over at Aragorn.

            The human smiled and shrugged his shoulders before helping his brothers with the packs. Sauros walked to the edge of the cliff and gazed out to the ocean and contemplated how to contact Aurora's relatives. Sitting on his haunches, his front paws held his chin while he watched the sun set. He really wasn't looking forward to seeing his in-laws, he mused to himself quietly. Aurora's mother's side of the family came from the water and was known as sea-dragons; they were very anti-social, Sauros had learned. They were almost unheard of and few people knew of the sea-dragons. They were an…odd bunch, to put it lightly. But then again whose in-laws weren't a little loopy? He just hoped that it wasn't Uncle Bubbles that answered his call; he prayed that it wasn't Uncle Bubbles. Stepping closer to the edge of the cliff, he leaped off and spread his wings to catch the up draft of wind and sailed out over the water. He soared until spying a strip of beach right at the water and flew towards it. Landing on the ground, he lifted his massive foot and pounded on the sand to watch the shock waves ripple across the water. He pounded out a recognizable pattern that would alert the listeners that a sea-dragon was wanted. Someone always came because the only thing big enough to pound out a message that loudly had to be something big and another dragon was the only one that knew the pattern. Sauros heard laughter coming from the cliff and he craned his head back to look up to see small tendrils of smoke curling up from a fire. The twins were teasing Aragorn about something again from what he could hear. Legolas, Lina, and Glorfindel were laughing as Aragorn snapped back at one of the twins in jest. The dragon smiled at the bond that the humans and elves shared between them. Even Master Glorfindel was joining in on the jokes and joy; shedding the stern and quiet elf lord image that he was known for in Rivendell. Sauros looked towards the sky which was quickly darkening and located the small cluster of stars that shone brightly in the western sky.

            The cluster of stars was known as the Dragon's Heart, or at least that was one of the cluster's names. All the breeds of dragons believed that that cluster of stars are the ones that they travel to when they die. One last flight before their final eternal rest. Sauros wondered how he would make that final trip or when. He hoped not for a long time but he knew that his family was waiting for him. He had walked upon this world for many years alone and in hiding before finding Aurora and his new friends. With another smile, he took off from his perch and flew farther into land to hunt for some food for him.

            Up on the cliff, Legolas quietly watched as Aragorn walked silently out of the circle of light from the campfire. No one noticed except for the blond archer as he watched the human's shadow move to the precipice and lowered himself to sit at the edge and dangle his legs. Setting down the arrow that he was carving, Legolas stood and followed the human's trail after waving off Elladan's questioning look. Picking up one of the pouches of water, he moved closer to Aragorn and stood next to him.

            "Like some company?" he asked quietly in elvish.

            Aragorn looked up and stared at the elf before shifting over slightly to make room for him. The darkness shielded the human's face and cast shadows across his features from the burning fire. He stared out across the water and listened to the soft sounds of the churning water hundreds of feet below them. The tangy salt air brushed over his senses as his listened to his brothers talking behind him about a horse back in Rivendell.

            "Do you want to tell me about that scar on your palm that you are rubbing?" Legolas asked and noticed the human's startled realization that he was rubbing it.

            "What do you want to know about it?"

            "Where did you get it from? It is an odd shape for a scar."

            "It came from your breathing tube from six or so years ago. When your father was banning me from Mirkwood upon threat of death," he muttered quietly before pulling something from his pocket.

            "What happened?" Legolas asked softly as the human stared at whatever was in his hand.

            "Thranduil was angered that you may become a mute because of my mistake and he banned me from Mirkwood. I was cursing my own errors and before I knew it, your breathing tube had pierced my flesh. I remember watching mine and yours blood mingling and seeping back into the wound while thinking that I had failed you and everyone else."

            "You did not fail anyone, Estel. You did everything you could," Legolas argued as Aragorn weakly smiled.

            "Did I? There must have been something else I could have done to prevent what happened to you. You were a mute for five years of your life and it was because of me."

            "But I also started speaking again because of you. True, not being able to speak had its disadvantages but the advantages far out weighed them. I learned to listen more to what was around me instead of just hearing. The bond that my horse and I have has reached new levels that we originally could never have reached if it was not for my inability to talk. I do not count it as a hindrance but as a blessing. My other senses have sharpened greatly and I have you to thank for that. Please do not believe that you failed for it could not be farther from the truth."

            "You may say that, mellonin, but it is not how I feel. I dread seeing your father and the blame in his eyes."

            "What does he have to blame you for? His son is speaking again, that was what he was angered about. You and he need to talk and get over this. For me," Legolas said as the human sighed.

            "I will try for you, mellonin. But we both know how your father can be at times."

            "Try living with him for a few millennia."

            Aragorn laughed quietly as Legolas wrapped an arm around the human's shoulders and hugged him closely to his side. The two of them were as close as two friends could possibly be and they only grew closer over time. They talked some more before going back to the fire where everyone else waited for them. Elladan watched his baby brother as he sat down and saw the comforting smile from the human. Knowing that everything was fine now, Elladan nodded and turned back to the rabbits that were roasting as the group of friends talked around the fire.

            Sauros sat on the edge of the cliff and watched the water below him as the others slept behind him around the weakening fire. After grabbing something to eat, he had flown back to camp and he was now on watch duty. The sun was only a few minutes from peeking over the horizon and Sauros sensed that a sea-dragon was about to appear. He was still pray that it wasn't Uncle Bubbles. Looking closer at the water, he saw the water start to churn and he slowly rose to his feet. Something suddenly exploded from the water and soared straight into the air and over Sauros' head. He turned and watched as the form spiraled above him and landed heavily on the opposite side of the fire in the shadows. The large wings were visible…or fins if Sauros really thought about it. His landing awoke the others and they all scrambled for weapons as Sauros moved around the group and stood in front of the group.

            "Stand down!" he snapped at everyone before turning back to the sea-dragon.

            The two growled at each as Sauros snapped his teeth in warning and hoped that the sea-dragon would back off. The water hindered him from deciding who it was.

            "Sauros?"

            "Yes, I am Sauros."

            The sea-dragon dropped his offensive stance and stood taller. Moving closer to Sauros, the sun finally peeked over the horizon and the sunlight illuminated the sea-dragon's face.

            "Uncle Bubbles! You scared the Valar out of me," Sauros muttered and lowered his wings to his side and relaxed.

            "I scared you? Sonny, you do not know the real meaning of scared! Well, I remember once when-"

            "Bubbles! Now is really not the best time for one of your stories. I would like you to meet some of my friends."

            "Friends? Since when did you get any friends? You were lucky enough that my niece decided to mate with you," the foam green colored sea-dragon commented loudly as Sauros closed his eyes.

            'Do not burn him alive, think of what Aurora would say; do not burn him alive, think of what Aurora would say; do not burn him alive, think of what Aurora would say,' Sauros continuously chanted inside and counted till ten until opening his eyes again.

            "As I was saying, this is Strider, Legolas, Lina, Glorfindel, Elladan, and Elrohir. Everyone, this is my Uncle-in-law Bubbles, a member of the sea-dragons order. His real name is too long and complicated to say so we just call him Bubbles. Do not ask, you really do not want to know," Sauros introduced dryly as everyone lowered their weapons.

            "I have never heard of a sea-dragon before," Glorfindel commented after bowing to the sea-dragon.

            "Well apparently you have not been traveling in the right circles. But then again what can you expect from an elf."

            Sauros quickly pushed Bubbles away a bit before the elves could draw their weapons in offence. The red dragon leaned closely to the sea-dragon and lengthened his claws to come closely to piercing the leathery skin of his in-law.

            "I would take care of what you say about elves, Bubbles. I take direct offence to that and you also insult your niece with that statement seeing as how she is close friends with several elves of Rivendell. She would be gravely saddened to know that her own uncle would insult her choice of friends. Be wary of the words that you would follow that insult with," Sauros snarled softly to the sea-dragon so that only he and his uncle could hear.

            Removing his claws, Sauros stepped back and stared Bubbles in the eyes with a sharp glint that solidified that he wasn't joking. Both breeds of dragons knew that the other would be a formidable opponent if it came down to that but neither was willing to actually get into a battle. They both knew that they would get a harsh treatment from their females when they heard about it. Neither of them was that brave.

Okay…LOL…there is a really long story behind as to why I have not updated in forever. Okay, well I moved out of my place at college and had to move back home. So it took me a few days to get everything organized in my room and tidy again and getting around to visiting all my friends. I worked on the story as often as I could but it just was not coming as quickly as I would have liked. Then just when it starts to take off, my computer has a heart attack and my brother (being the computer genius that he is) had to completely defragmentize the entire damn laptop. Yeah…that was fun. I did not have my laptop for about four or five days. I was going into withdraw. I swear I was. So, then I get it back finally earlier today and now it is coming straight to you. I have already started on the next chapter so you should be getting another one in about a week and a half. Love all of you and please review for me. Cheers!

Oh, and any other readers/authors out there. If you want to read a great series of books I strongly advise you read three books by Jasper Fforde titled: The Eyre Affair, Lost In a Good Book, and The Well of Lost Plots. These books have a special meaning to me because it is exactly as I feel and think about writing and the books are just hilarious to read. Takes a while to wrap your mind around them but a great read.

**_Roccovende_****_-_** I am stressed. I will proudly admit it. sighs I need a vacation. Exams are a pain in the ass, I hate them. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Namarie, mellonin.

**_Cloud-123-_** Well, I am glad that I made you day. And I hope that this one makes your day also.

**_Andunea_****_ the shapeshifter-_** I value my life so I really can not stop writing. I would have some very angry readers on my tail chasing me down. Well, at least you tried to break the code. I had a hard time coming up with it myself.

**_Gwyn_****_-_** I had a lot of free time because I actually wrote it and encoded it! I must have lost my mind while doing that. I did not want to even think of the story after doing that.

**_Astievia_****_-_** My plot bunnies did not hide eggs…they hid my bras. I am not joking; they are perverted little plot bunnies. And then Poppy tied one over his head and tied a cape around his neck and became Super Poppy. He was leaping off the bed and trying to fly, it was comical…Better stop that strained grin or it will stick like that. I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. I am really sorry.

**_Hiei-Rulez_****_-_** HA! Yes, it does mean that Aragorn touched something! Heehee, poor guy. Sauros is just great; he is the best OC that I have ever created in any of my stories. Gondolin is up north; that is the only way I can describe it. Did you know that there are/were two cities named Minas Tirith? I did not know that and it came back and bit me in the ass. I am so sorry for taking so long to update. It will not happen again, I hope. Next chapter will be out in about a week and a half after this one.

**_Dha_****_-Gal-_** I have three huge bags of skittles on my desk right next to my laptop. Have not munched on them for a while but they are there. Band-aids were needed and used. Now…to hunt down who threw the clipboard Mission Impossible theme song comes on.

**_Catmint-_** I love swords. I have several of them here at my house and I am tempted to take them off the way and start to play. Heehee. Hope you like this chapter.

**_Elven Kitten-_** I am trying to keep it up. Hope you like this chapter.

**_Alariel_****_-_** Star-Stallion is an up and comer; she will eventually by pass me. I am becoming more adept to accepting the praise that I get from my work just as long as it does not exceed a certain limit. I know that my work is good but I just do not think that it is that good. But I do love all my reviewers out there in reader land. blushes I thank you for your advice and compliments; I will hold them dear to my heart. I am glad that you enjoy the banter between Sauros and Aragorn. I was just having so much fun between those two. It is actually very similar to my conversations with a good friend of mine.

**_Snow-Glory-_** I was talking earlier to Linuvial Greenleaf and talking about what I could do after this story. We were bouncing ideas off one another seeing what sounded best and I just do not know. Hopefully, something will come soon because this story is slowly nearing its end. It was wrong of me to pull in Lina; well maybe not wrong, but I should not have had her play that much of a role in the story. I got a little carried away, I will admit. Hope you liked this chapter.

**_Leggylover03-_** Sorry it took me so long to update. I hope that it will not happen again for a very long time.

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_** I did not realize the Gondolin problem until your review and was like: "Oh shit, why did I not realize this." Really long story as to why I did not but I have hopefully fixed it with the idea that I have. Had to research many books to get everything straight.

**_Nerfenherder_****_-_** holds hand over heart and bows while sweeping hand out to side Hannon lle, mellonin. I am honored by your compliments. I am working as quickly as I can on my stories and hope that you will bear with me while I write.

**_Star-Stallion-_** I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. But the next chapter should be up in a week and half, hopefully. Till next update…sweetie. Heehee.

**_Tychen_****_-_** Oh man, I was so praying for Sauros to appear and burn all the exam papers; or Gollum taking them and hiding them in lonely mountain. But to no avail. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Elvendancer_****_-_** I have slept. I have been sleeping to like noon on most days. Gah, I love summer. Heehee, either I do not get enough sleep or I get too much. Eh, can not win.

**_Qvisr_****_-_** I never intended to imply that they specifically taught her to speak Dwarvish. When they were talking, she just listened and watched. She picked up small things and what she does know is equivalent to baby talk, pretty much. And do not worry, that does not rate up there as a flame for me.

**_XxgemxX_****_-_** Thank you for the compliment. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as the others.

**_Grumpy-_** I swear, bandage companies could survive on the sale of bandages to Lord Elrond alone and be well off.

**_Someone Reading-_** Have no fear, it takes much more to make me angry. Thank you so much for the compliments. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**_Linchi_****_-_**

1) Forgiven if I am forgiven for taking so long to update.

2) Forgiven for it was my fault for making Lina too much in the story. I should have just had her appear for a chapter or two when they stopped in a town or something.

3) Making them too hard would have fried my poor little brain and I had to time to make them hard.

4) This is like a match flame to what I sometimes get.

The plot bunnies are planning against me…or just planning a protest rally for longer paid vacation. Oh well.

****

**_Sielge_****_-_** Here is the new chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

**_Lauren-_** holds up a beer bottle Here is too the next story after this one and multicolored balding pussies. Heehee. Bottoms up!

**_Beth Malabarba-_** Gah, it took me a while to find your email in my fanfiction file but I finally found it. Okay first off, thank you for the compliment. I am glad that you are enjoying the story so far. Did you know that the Atlas of Middle-Earth is one of the few books that I have not studied in depth for my stories? I had to borrow it from a friend and research through it. The site that I first got the information from showed a map of where it was and it was situated near a city called Minas Tirith (little did I know that this was one far before the current Minas Tirith where everything is set in the book) and the land formations were very similar to around the now Minas Tirith. My friend and I looked through that entire book and decided that it was hard to tell after the Valar reshaped the land. So, assuming that the old city is under water, we thought hard for a moment and I came up with a way around it. At least I hope it is a way around it. The solution will be brought forward in the next chapter. I believe that I have fixed my error in reading information. Thank you for the heads up and hope to see you at next update.


	18. Chapter 18

            Bubbles turned his gaze back to the humans and elves before bowing his head slightly.

            "I apologize for my harsh words earlier. I was not in the correct state of mind."

            "You never are in the correct state of mind," Sauros commented and dismissed the glare that Bubbles sent him.

            Sauros and Bubbles really did not see eye to eye on many things. Even though it had been a really long time since they had been face to face and actually talked; from the first moment they both knew that it wasn't going to be a good friendship. The only reason they tolerated each other was because of Aurora and Bubbles' mate. Those were two women that no dragon or other being in their right mind would mess with. A wizard may be able to but…no, Sauros doubted even Gandalf would stand up to Aurora when she got into one of her moods.

            "I assume you called for a reason. What is it?" Bubbles asked as Sauros softly growled.

            "We need help getting to the lost city of Gondolin. Fact has it that the city is lost under the waves of your territory. We were hoping you could aid us in some way to get there for an hour or two," Sauros answered while wrapping his tail around him.

            "Why would you need to get to Gondolin? It has been under the waves for countless years and everything but the stone would have disintegrated by now."

            "We are looking for the next piece of a puzzle that will lead us to where Glaurung may be residing. Unless we find the next piece then Glaurung will soon be fully regenerated and be set loose upon Middle-Earth. Now, I do not know how old you are Master Bubbles but Glaurung can cause a lot damage if we do not stop him. If you do not help us then we will find another way to accomplish our task, but with your help it will be far easier," Aragorn stated quickly as he stepped between the two dragons and looked up at Bubbles.

            "Glaurung, you say? I remember when he was a well-feared name. You say he is on the verge of coming back? This is definitely bad news. May I talk with you for a moment, Sauros?" Bubbles asked before walking away from the small group of humans and elves.

            Sauros followed and glanced back to the others to give them a reassuring grin. The meeting was going good so far; he hadn't killed Bubbles or lost his mind yet. That was always a good sign of a good meeting with Aurora's relatives. He often wondered how Aurora had come from such a screwed up family but then he remembered that her father's side of the family, the regular land dragons, raised her. That was something that he thanked the Valar for every day.

            "What is it Bubbles?" he asked when they had put a good enough distance between them and the group.

            "I just wanted to warn you how dangerous this could turn out to be. I will get half of the sea-dragons to lift the city up and then the other half under it to push it up. The entire colony will then be under the city pushing it above water so your companions can walk around on the streets. The only thing is that the entire city was built on a solid stone plateau and will be extremely heavy for us to lift. I can only guarantee an hour; I know we can hold it for forty-five minutes but beyond an hour would be pushing it. Your companions would need to hurry in looking for what they search for," Bubbles stated as Sauros nodded solemnly.

            "I will inform them of the urgency for speed. And thank you for your help, Bubbles. Our road has been long and tedious. We are hoping to locate Glaurung's lair soon and kill him before he returns to full power. I worry that we will not be able to defeat him if he is in fact at full strength. Glaurung was well known for his strength," Sauros noted tiredly.

            "That he was but he does not have your attitude. There have been several times that I wanted to kill you just for that reason."

            "And my attitude is the only thing that has stopped me from burning you alive," Sauros replied back just as quickly.

            The two dragons watched each other and eventually came to a certain level of respect for the other. They would never voluntarily help each other but when the circumstances were correct, they would collaborate on some things and then never reveal the truth. Bubbles nodded and glanced back at the group of people where they were quietly talking among themselves.

            "He is the one? That man."

            Sauros glanced over at Aragorn who was joking with Legolas and didn't really stop to wonder how Bubbles knew. Sea-dragons had some strange talents from what Sauros could remember and he really wasn't in the mood to sit and listen to Bubbles go into an entire history lesson. Bubbles could be an amazing bore most of the time when he started talking about past battles and the family tree. He did that most of the time at any family gatherings and that was when Sauros just wanted to set himself on fire. Aurora had to smack him over the head a few times to keep him from saying the things that he wanted to and then would send the whole reunion into chaos.

            "Yes, he is. He will be our redemption when it is his time. Soon we will not be hunted anymore like beasts of Morgoth's era."

            "Those were bad times. Things have not gotten much better since then in truth," Bubbles said quietly as Sauros shook his head.

            "No, they have not but it will change eventually. Strider has promised me this."

            Bubbles nodded before turning back towards the water. "The city will be up in about thirty minutes. Heed my warning from earlier; they will need to move quickly."

            "I will tell them."

            Bubbles leapt off the cliff and dove into the water with a small splash as Sauros looked over the edge to look down at the water. He never really liked water that much but it wasn't that much of a shock seeing as how he was a fire-dragon. He really considered the sea-dragons were more of like a water rat but that was his opinion. He would never say that to Aurora either. Sauros turned and walked towards the group and waited until they stopped talking and looked to him.

            "Bubbles has agreed to help us but we will have to be fast when he brings the city up. It will be heavy and the sea-dragons will not be able to hold it up for long. So speed is of the essence," Sauros directed as the others nodded.

            "Elladan, check the book again and be sure we understand what it is saying. We need to get everything ready for when we enter Gondolin," Aragorn said as Elladan nodded and pulled his brother along with him to look over the book again.

            "It would be best if we left the weapons here at the camp site. They would add more weight to the island and it may give us a few more vital minutes if we did not carry the weapons with us," Legolas suggested as Aragorn nodded and everyone started to take off all their weapons and excess items.

            "I will drop you off on the island and then fly back to here; after about forty minutes I will fly back out and pick you up where I dropped you off. If the island sinks before then…then I will come and find you."

            "What if you can not find us?" Lina asked as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

            "Just start to jump up and down and scream. If I do not find you while the city is sinking then I will find you once it does sink and you are swimming in the ocean," Sauros said with a toothy smile.

            "Did I just hear what I think I just heard? You will pick us up when we are swimming in the ocean?" Glorfindel asked incredulously as Elladan and Elrohir came up to them. "Did I hear you correctly?"

            "Come Glorfindel, we need your advice on something," Elladan interrupted and pulled Glorfindel away by the arm.

            The twins understood that Glorfindel had something against large bodies of water but they never really understood why. They weren't about to ask either or the elf lord may start to get that twitch again and they really did not want that. He might start to rethink his decision about escorting the sons of Elrond anywhere ever again. Sauros rolled his eyes and looked up at the sun to gauge the time. It was getting close. The elves suddenly went silent and turned to look out towards the ocean and Sauros followed their gaze. A mile or so out the water was starting to churn angrily and Sauros turned back to everyone.

            "Everyone, quickly, climb on. We need to get you on the island for the most time possible. Leave everything except your own body."

            The group scrambled onto Sauros' back and the dragon leapt into the air as his wings lifted him into the sky. He flew towards the disturbance in the water and hovered while the ancient city of Gondolin slowly emerged from the water. Most of the peeks were still in tact and the city seemed to have fared well under the water for the amount of years that it had been under there. Seaweed hung from the roofs and balconies and water dripped from buildings as the city continued to rise. Several sea animals scuttled down the walls and hid in the cracks. Some of the buildings were completely destroyed and in ruins while a few looked like the weight of the years had not even touched them. When the city's floor emerged from the water, Sauros carefully hovered above the ground and everyone jumped off to the wet stone road. For a moment, everyone just stood there and looked around in awe and wonder.

            "I never thought that I would see this place again," Glorfindel murmured softly to himself as faint memories came back to him of the city.

            "We need to hurry. Glorfindel, which is the quickest way to the Tower of the King?" Elrohir asked to catch his mentor's eye.

            Glorfindel quickly brought up all his memories of Gondolin and calculated the speediest path.

            "Sauros dropped us at the eastern side of Gondolin. I know of a quick way but I am not sure of the condition of the path. It could be a dead end."

            "We will not know until we try, now lead the way."

            Glorfindel nodded and quickly took off down an alleyway at a jog with everyone following. He looked in both directions as they crossed streets and shops to ensure that he had an idea of where they were going. He remembered faintly walking down these streets when they were alive with talking, bargaining, joking, and the other sounds of living. A fellow warrior friend of his lived in that building right there. A small flower shop resided over there. He shook his head to clear the memories. None of them would help him now.

            Rounding one of the corners, he slid to a stop to see the alleyway completely blocked by a collapsed wall. Swearing to himself, he looked around quickly and knew that they didn't have time to spare to go back and take another route. Motioning towards the others, he started to slowly climb the walls by using the cracks, which offered marvelous hand and footholds. He occasionally glanced back to ensure that the others were following him and doing okay. Reaching the roof, they started to run across the roofs and leaping to the neighboring ones as they moved quickly.

            "How much time do we have left?" he asked back to Aragorn.

            "I would guess that we just passed the fifteen minute mark. How much further to go until we reach it?"

            "Ten minutes if we do not meet anymore obstacles. What was our time limit?"

            "Forty-five minutes. We are almost at the half-way mark."

            Glorfindel started to move faster and stretched his long legs to eat up more distance. He could see their destination in the distance and knew that they were heading in the right direction. Negotiating the rooftops was starting to get dangerous when they started to encounter weak spots in the roofing. They also had to deal with occasional shifting of the entire city from the sea-dragons holding the city up. Several of the rooftops had fractures splitting across the entire length as the group sprinted across the roof to leap to the next one. The next roof was in worse shape but none realized it until Elrohir and Lina were crossing it to leap to the next building. The roof suddenly gave under them and started to break apart as the others ran ahead without realizing what was occurring behind them.

            "Elladan!" Elrohir yelled while swinging his arms to try and balance himself as the roof lurched side to side under him and Lina.

            Everyone turned just as the roof collapsed and the two disappeared from the view of everyone.

            "Elrohir!"

            The remaining three leaned over the ledge and looked down to the sopping remains of the stone roof. They scanned the rubble for anything moving and started to despair until they saw a chunk of stone be pushed aside to reveal a muddy hand.

            "Elrohir! Is that you?" Elladan yelled down as the hand continued to push aside stone.

            "Yeah and Lina is right next to me! Go on, we will catch up!" he yelled up and slowly emerged from the rubble.

            The others nodded and hurried off although all of them were apprehensive about leaving the two behind. When they reached the large courtyard that held the Tower of the King they slowly climbed down from the roof and walked across the puddle-strewn courtyard. Part of the tower still stood erect but part of the top was falling apart and crumbling. Beside the tower standing majestically was the golden and silver trees of Gondolin, Glingal and Belthil made by Turgon himself. Everyone slowed and looked upon them in awe as the sun sparkled off the trees and shimmered in their beauty. The trees had been created by Turgon in memory of the Two Trees of Valinor, which had brought light to the Land of the Valar in ancient times. When they were destroyed by Melkor and Ungoliant their last flower and fruit were made by the Valar into the Moon and the Sun. Glorfindel thought he would never see it again as he slowly neared it and ran a hand reverently across the metal. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Elrohir and Lina come limping into the clearing covered in muck from their small fall. They looked upon the trees and immediately ceased their grumblings. Glorfindel dropped his hand with a sigh before turning to look at Aragorn.

            "What were the directions?"

            "Uh…stand by the Tower of the King and be counted among the trees. Gaze upon the realm of the eagles and at the perch of Thorondor. There will be where you stand."

            Glorfindel followed the line from the Tower to the two trees and then stood at the end of the line. If he remembered correctly then Thorondor use to always perch on that precipice behind him and to his left but you could not see the precipice from this spot. Rotating, he craned his neck to look but knew it would work. Following the line that the tower and the trees made, he slowly inched his way to the side and continued to watch for the perch while occasionally looking back to ensure that he was still in line. When he finally reached the point where he could see Thorondor's old perch, he was a few yards away from the trees and tower but he could easily see the eagle's old perch.

            "Do you see our next clue?" Elrohir asked as Glorfindel shook his head.

            "I see nothing. Are we sure that we are doing everything that we need to do? Is there something else?"

            "This is the only spot in the courtyard where you can see that spot. I know," Glorfindel snapped and rubbed his eyes frustratingly.

            Why did he agree to accompany Estel on this adventure? Very true he never expected it to go this far but still. Elrond was going to hear about this whenever they returned to Imladris. Oh was that elf lord going to hear about it from him, Glorfindel chuckled to himself. He started to laugh hysterically in his head as he thought of the discussion between the two elf lords. Then he would lock the three sons of Elrond and the Mirkwood prince in the deepest, darkest cell and keep them there until it was time to leave for the undying lands or until Aragorn could become king. Glorfindel had once thought that he would adore having children and thought that they might be something like the twins, Aragorn, and Legolas but he was seriously starting to reconsider that. Valar help him if he was still around when one of them had kids and he had to be their mentor. He doubted that he could handle putting up with the sons of the terrors he was now watching over. No, no, no, no, no, nonononononononono; his mind almost imploded as the idea started to multiply and overwhelm him. Little versions of the twins and Aragorn? A very un-elvish shriek of terror echoed through his head as his eyes widened.

            "What could we be missing?"

            "I do not know but we had better because we are on borrowed time now. It is about past forty-five minutes. We need to hurry," Lina said while wiping the mud from her cheek and looking around.

            "We do not know where to go now. This can not be the last location," Elrohir said while walking around and looking at the ground as he walked over it.

            Everyone's voices slowly faded away as Elrohir focused on the task at hand. He started to follow some random line on the ground and slowly following it around curves and past other lines and faintly colored stones. 'What are we missing?' he thought to himself and frantically racked him mind. There has to be something. Glaurung was a dragon and something here showed them where he was. Why couldn't they see it? Maybe a dragon could see something that they were missing from high up. Maybe…

            Elrohir turned and quickly searched for the tallest building around the courtyard. He started to climb towards the roof and finally reached it while ignoring the yells of the others when they realized what he was doing. Wiping off his hands on his dirty leggings, he looked down at the courtyard and his eyes slowly widened when he recognized what he was looking for. He couldn't believe it with the detail and time that had to go into it. The courtyard floor was a large map of Middle-Earth and Glorfindel was standing right where they needed to go next.

            "That is it! Brilliant!" he yelped as everyone watched him shocked.

            "What are you talking about?"

            Elrohir quickly went through all the maps he's learned while studying at home.

            "Fanuidhol! We are going to Cloudyhead!"

            His excitement was suddenly ended when the building shifted under him, as did the rest of the city. The city was sinking back into the ocean!

            "Are you sure Elrohir?" Aragorn asked frantically as the ground shifted violently.

            "Yes! Now we get to leave!"

            Elrohir quickly climbed down as the group started to run down the streets towards the drop-off point. Small chinks of the buildings were starting to fall around them as the ducked and dodged the deadly pieces. All of them ran as if their life depended on it, and if they actually stopped to think, it did. Rounding a corner, they slid to a stop as water rushed towards them looking like a wall of blue. They took to the walls and started climbing frantically as the water rushed them.

            "Get up! Climb!" Aragorn yelled as he brought up the rear. "Hurry Lina!"

            If she had the breath to do so she would have told him to shove it but she wasn't going to. The sound was becoming deafening as they leaped across the gaps to the next buildings. The roofs were crumbling under their feet as they ran and all hoped that none of the roofs were going to collapse under their feet again. Elladan hung back a bit as Aragorn surged past him to keep up with Glorfindel. It was far easier for the elves to run across the roofs with their light weight but the humans were doing their best to dodge the bad spots. Unfortunately, the next building's roof was entirely unstable and the first footfall on the buildings started the roof crumble. The roof disappeared from under their feet and sent everyone sliding into the building.

            "Is everyone alright?" Legolas asked while climbing to his feet in the thigh deep water.

            "Yeah; we have to hurry though," Aragorn said and waded out to the street.

            The water was rising quickly as they moved down the street as fast as they can. Water was splashing every time a chunk of stone fell from the violently shifting city. A loud bellow pulled their attention towards the sky where Sauros was flying over the nearest building. Finding the sturdiest building that didn't look close to crumbling apart, they started climbing. Elladan was about to start climbing when he heard Lina scream his name a moment before something slammed into him and knocked him aside into the water. Emerging from the water, he shook his head to clear the water from his eyes as he looked to where he once stood. Lina was pinned from her hips and down against the stonewall by another chunk of stone that had fallen from the building across the street. Her hands were braced against the chunk as she gritted her teeth against the pain.

            "Lina!" Elladan gasped and scrambled to his feet to realize that the water was now up to mid-chest.

            He pressed his shoulder against the stone and strained to push the stone off her body. She pushed with him but somehow knew that the stone wasn't moving.

            "Elladan. Elladan!" she yelled to catch his attention. "It will not work. We can not move it."

            "What are we supposed to do?"

            "Leave me."

            Elladan stopped pushing and looking up at Lina to see a pair of calm eyes. She accepted what was coming and wasn't afraid to face it.

            "What are you talking about? I am not leaving you here to drown," Elladan stated, shaking his head vehemently.

            "You have no choice, Elladan. Go! Strider needs your help," she said and jerked her head upward where Aragorn was scrambling to get a good handhold.

            Elladan felt the tears prick his eyes but refused to let them fall. He glanced up again to where everyone was climbing onto Sauros. He looked back to Lina as she watched him calmly.

            "Go."

            With a quick nod, he started to climb agilely and caught Aragorn just as the small handhold that he had gave away. Elladan helped him onto the roof and then onto Sauros while noting that his arm had started to bleed again. He would have to look at that when the reached solid land again.

            With a roar, Sauros lifted higher into the sky as Elladan stared down at the disappearing city with a blank expression. His mind kept replaying everything that happened and wondered if there was something else he could have done. Why didn't he notice the chunk of stone falling towards him? Why did Lina have to push him aside? Did she really have to die? Well he wasn't really sure that she was dead, but it was a good assumption. Will anyone else notice that she wasn't with them?

            The city finally disappeared under the sea and Sauros started towards solid land. Elladan watched where the city had disappeared and hoped against hope that Lina would suddenly appear and be alright. He knew that it would never happen but he could hope. She was too young to die on an adventure that she had been recruited to accompany. He knew that she had wanted to come but he shouldn't have allowed it. She was far too young. When Sauros landed at the campsite, he slowly slipped off and walked a few yards away from the camp. He listened to everyone talking to Elrohir and asking about what he saw from the rooftop when looking down at the courtyard. Elladan suddenly felt anger for them not realizing that Lina was missing from the group. It should have been the first thing noticed. She had been with them since Aragorn's capture and had solved the first clue.

            "Elladan! What are you doing over there? We need to start packing to leave for Fanuidhol," Legolas called as Elladan slowly turned to look at the others.

            They all slowly stopped talking when realizing that Elladan wasn't with them. Elladan watched all of them with a dead expression before turning to look out towards the ocean.

            "She is dead and none of you realized it. She told me to leave her and help Aragorn to stop him from falling and you do not even realize that she is missing. I cannot bear to look at any of you right now. Please allow me a moment alone to grieve for her since none of you are willing to spare the time that she deserved."

()()()()()()()()()()

I really have no idea what to say. This chapter just would never come out; I had to physically yank it out of my head and still then it would only come in pieces. And I was also helping Linuvial Greenleaf with her story Fading Flame (marvelous story, I strongly suggest you read it) and gah, I just had all the stories crossing in my mind. So here it is, and I pray that I will get the next chapter out quicker than this chapter. Thank you so much to the patient ones that waited for this chapter and did not lose interest in the story. I can not blame you if you did. Hope you like this chapter and I will see you at the next update.

**_Astievia_****_-_** (ducks flying clipboards) I am so sorry for leaving you hanging like that. You have no idea how sorry I am, truly. I hope to update soon after this one. Well I will update Reborn Warrior, then An Ancient Bond, then this one again. Again, I am so sorry.

**_Hiei-Rulez_****_-_** I am seriously about to cry over here, I feel so bad. This chapter was just not working out the way that I wanted it to. I have no excuses for myself; I am a horrid writer. Uncle Bubbles just appeared out of nowhere. Well, I was talking to a friend about how to get around a small problem and it slowly came to me. I actually intended on basing him from Bubbles in the movie Finding Nemo but it did not work out that way but it is a great name.

**_Dha_****_-Gal-_** Thank you, dearie, for the band-aids. I think I may use the clipboard and hammer on myself as punishment for taking so long with this chapter. This story is totally losing its earlier momentum that it once had. Eeewwww, whip cream in the hair? That would be disgusting. Sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter.

**_Sielge_****_-_** Well thank you for the compliment and I am so sorry for taking so long to update this story. I promise (and hope) that I can update quicker the next time. Enjoy!

**_XxgemxX_****_-_** Yeah, most males I know would never really go against their female counterparts, aka Mother, Girlfriend, Wife, and Sister. Well, there was Lina in this chapter; but it was probably that wrong part that you wanted to read about her.

**_Star-Stallion-_** Yes, I think Bubbles was just hilarious when I came up with him. I have a good habit/talent of creating hilarious new male characters. I am not planning on creating anymore codes; very difficult for me to create them.

**_Andunea_****_ the Shapeshifter- _**Well, I am so glad that you are enjoying this story. And I promise that I normally never take this long to update a story. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others.

**_Cloud-123-_** You are very welcome and I am so sorry for taking so long to update.

**_Roccovende_****_-_** Mae govanne, mellonin. My little vacation to London and then to Ohio was very relaxing. I am refreshed and ready to write now. And cheers also to you for the end of the school year and to great ff and even better friends. Cheers!

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_** The constellation bit is from Dragonheart and I did not realize it until a few days after I posted. I was thinking over the chapter and was like, damn, that was like Dragonheart. I thought it fit nicely though.

**_Grumpy-_** Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others.

**_Linchi_****_-_** I would never be upset with you, love! I love dragons too; I might have put a few too many in this story but oh well.

**_Neoinean_****_-_** I did not mind a bit if you email the review straight to my email. I just love to get them. Actually, I really do not remember what you said…hold on…okay you know what, I can not find it. If it sounded like a flame then I probably would not have taken it to heart. I usually laugh at most of the flames and then calmly address them as they come, as infrequently as they come. The delay in this chapter was a bit of that problem and it took me a while to negotiate around it but I finally did. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**_Elvendancer_****_-_** I am getting plenty of sleep now. I am so sorry for taking so long to update this chapter but here it is. Better late than never.

**_Astievia_****_-_** My plot bunnies are off getting drunk at barbeques and summer parties on the beach. I had to sick the animal control people on them and bring them back home to get this chapter out. Sorry for taking so long to update.

**_Linuvial_****_ Greenleaf-_** Uncle Bubbles is here! Us and our poor chapters that take us forever to get out. Till next update, love. And your comments had me rolling on the floor in laughter, honey. I was seriously about to wet my pants in hysterics.

**_Elven Kitten-_** Heehee, Uncle Bubbles is hilarious.

**_LOTRFaith_****_-_** Have you read Reborn Warrior yet? I hope so; I think that one will turn into one of my best. But anyway, I am so glad that you have enjoyed all my stories. I am extremely flattered.

**_Snow-Glory-_** Elves suffering from sea-longing is not fun. Especially during a big adventure that they need their wits about them. Dha-Gal got me hooked on the skittles thing and it all started from there so blame her. Sweet-tarts would definitely classify. Sweet-tarts are divine.

**_Catmint-_** Well, thank you so much for the compliment. I am so sorry for taking so long to update, I really did not mean to take so long.

**_Someone Reading-_** Well, thank you so much for the compliment. The sea-dragons are a bit loopy. I based Uncle Bubbles from the character of Bubbles in Finding Nemo and wanted him to be like Bubbles in the movie but it did not work out that well. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**_Alariel_****_-_** Yeah, my computer problems were a pain in the ass. I was so pissed off but hopefully I can avoid those kind of problems from now on. Well thank you very much for the compliment.

**_Wolf Jade-_** I am sorry that your head hurts. I know I hate it when I have a headache.


	19. Chapter 19

            Elladan walked away from the group and to the edge of the cliff to look down at the churning water. Lina's voice echoed in his memory as he replayed the scene just minutes ago and wondered again if there was anything else he could have done. Crossing his arms across his chest, he bowed his head and stared at the mud that marred his soft leather boots. Several elvish sayings raced through his head that could be said for the dead but none seemed to fit this death. He really did not know a thing about her. The last time he had seen her was in Tharbad, when she was a little girl. Then she suddenly appeared in Imladris with a message from Legolas and she was a young woman, skilled in the ways of the wild. He would have to go and find her brother; he remembered her mentioning him during some point of their journey. The brother use to work in the barn at the inn that Elladan first met her at on their way to Tharbad.

            "Would you mind some company, Master Elf?"

            Elladan turned and looked over his shoulder at Sauros as the dragon watched the grieving elf. Shaking his head, Elladan looked back out to the sea as Sauros lumbered over to him and sat on his haunches quietly. Sauros had sensed the weight difference when everyone had climbed on to leave Gondolin and knew it had to be Lina. He had seen Aragorn climb on and Lina was the only other human that weighed more than the elves. He grieved for her for she would have grown up to be a strong lady and have many adventures. But death was a common occurrence, especially among humans; the race that she was unfortunate to be born to. One more flower to fall from the tree of human life, he thought to himself and flicked his forked tongue to the wind.

            "You felt the need to protect her."

            Elladan looked over at the dragon and raised an eyebrow before looking back to the sea and sighing.

            "Yes, I did. I protected her as a young girl in Tharbad and this time I failed. She should never have come on this journey with us. It was far too perilous for her. She was only a child, far younger that Estel; she was a mere babe by elvish standards. Her death was too early," Elladan muttered softly and uncrossed his arm to run his fingers through his long black hair.

            "It was her decision to join us; we did not force her. Her life was full of her own adventures and she had seen much more of this world than normal women her age. She had seen her friend's mutilated body after orcs had abducted her and abused her in more ways than one. She has suffered through too much."

            "But she still should not have died that way. It was a dishonorable way to die," Elladan commented quietly and stretched his head back to look towards the sky.

            His eyes drifted shut as he breathed deeply, trying to wash his grief away. Elves always felt death very close to them and were often amazed by it. Death was not well known by elves but it was felt closely. The death of a young one was always a shock and dismay to the elvish community.

            "She died helping others; is there any better way to go? She pushed you out of the way to save you. What is dishonorable about that?"

            "It should have been in battle. That is how a warrior is supposed to die."

            "But she was not a warrior, Master Elf. She was a young woman searching to find herself and help those in need by lending her abilities. Healing people was what she wanted to do, not battle others but she knew it was unavoidable. It is dangerous when you travel through these lands alone and she knew that and accepted it," Sauros commented with a small puff of sulfurous air into the sky.

            Elladan nodded and continued to clear his head. Sauros sat there for a moment silently before turning to lumber off towards the rest of the group. The dragon had said all that he could to ease the elf's pain. He would have to work through everything else on his own. Sauros shook his head slightly when Elrohir looked up at him. The younger twin worriedly looked over at his twin and pressed Aragorn back down to the ground. He had just finished re-stitching and bandaging his little brother's arm while occasionally glancing over towards Elladan. Elrohir was getting worried about his other brother. Elladan felt close to Lina and was probably taking her death hard which Elrohir really didn't find that shocking. Elladan had always been a very emotional elf but he hid it while in battle but it came out in full force when one of his family members was in danger. Pointedly glaring at the human, Elrohir slowly moved towards his twin and stood behind him for a moment while trying to gather his words. Being twins, Elrohir could feel the pain and anguish that Elladan was going through as if it were his own. He hadn't been as close to Lina as Elladan had been but also felt sorrow at her passing. Stepping up, he gently laid a hand on Elladan's shoulder and squeezed it to show that he was there for his brother. Elladan tipped his head slightly to glance out of the corner of his eye at his twin and nodded before turning back to stare at the sky again.

            "Are you well, brother?" he asked softly and stepped closer to stand by his brother's side.

            "I will be, eventually. It would be better to leave tomorrow morning so we can spend the entire day traveling. We would only get in a few hours of traveling today if we leave now."

            Elrohir glanced up towards the placement of the sun and nodded in agreement. It would be better if they stayed there for the night and rested from their dash through the ancient city. He also wanted to wash the mud off from his fall from the roof and into the mud puddle that seemed to be the whole city.

            "We will wait till tomorrow to leave. It will take us about six or seven days to reach Cloudyhead," Elrohir commented quietly and his twin nodded. "Is there anything I can do, Elladan?"

            "Nay, brother, there is nothing."

            "Elladan, I apologize for earlier. I was just so thrilled about learning of our next destination and getting away from the city that I did not realize that Lina was not with us. I do not know how it slipped my mind like that."

            "Lina was always quiet when we all worked together. I think she did not want to make herself seem like a burden to Estel since he was first against her traveling with us. She was a quiet one."

            Elrohir glanced back towards the camp and saw Legolas leave to find something to fix for dinner. Aragorn and Glorfindel were quietly talking between themselves and Sauros was blowing smoke figures into the air. Elrohir glanced back at Elladan and watched his brother's face. Elladan suddenly turned around to face his twin and slowly looked over his face. There were times when he was shocked at how similar Elrohir and he were like in some aspects; oh he knew that they looked practically identical but they both felt the same emotions about certain things. They could read the other's expression and eyes just as easily as reading a book from their father's library. Elrohir sighed and pulled his twin into a hug to feel the elder twin's arms wrap around him tightly. They always pulled strength from the other in times of need and comforted each other. There were times when no one else could comfort them and they would only let their twin near them. When Celebrían had passed to Valinor, the twins had found comfort in each other before going to their father and sister.

            "She knew what was at risk when she decided to accompany us on this journey. Her life will not be forgotten, big brother," Elrohir murmured and rubbed his brother's back.

            "I will have to find her family and tell them what has happened to her. She had an entire family; a mother, father, and a brother. Her death will come as a shock to them which I do not look forward to giving them. She was too young to die."

            "I know, my brother. I know."

            Elladan sighed and glanced back towards the ocean before turning and walking with Elrohir back to the campsite. The others remained quiet and glanced towards him as he sat by the pile of wood and carefully selected a piece of wood. Pulling a knife from his boot, he started to carve an arrow from the piece of wood and let his mind wander.

            "We should be leaving for Cloudyhead soon," Aragorn said and stood from his seat next to the fire.

            "We are not leaving until tomorrow morning, Estel. Tonight we will just relax and regroup," Elladan commented and continued to work on the piece of wood.

            "Glaurung will not wait for us while we waste our time here."

            "Waste our time? Taking time to grieve over the loss of a young one is a 'waste of time'?" Elladan asked as he stood, the arrow forgotten.

            "Elladan, I grieve fo-"

            "You do not grieve for her so do not even say you do! You have done nothing but shown contempt for her since she has been traveling with you. Glorfindel told me all about it and how she came back to save your ass when you almost got Legolas killed in that mud slide!"

            Everyone froze and silence fell as everyone stared at Elladan and Aragorn. Elladan's chest heaved under his tunic as he stared at Aragorn and watched the realization dawn on the human's face. Aragorn backed a few steps in shock as he stared at his big brother before jerking his gaze away. He gulped down air as images raced through his mind. He saw Legolas' shocked expression as the mudflow raced towards him and catapulted him into the air; the accusation on Glorfindel's face as they search for Legolas down the flow. Guilt had flooded through Aragorn with each new injury that Glorfindel and he found on Legolas and Lina. Aragorn blinked a few times to ensure that this was real and he wasn't just dreaming this nightmare. Elladan also froze when he heard the words that he spoke; knowing that he could not take them back.

            "Estel, I-"

            "No, Elladan, you are right. I did almost get Legolas killed and I got Lina killed. Her blood is on my hands," he softly muttered and slowly backed up before turning and walking away.

            "Strider! Wait a moment!" Legolas yelled and reached out for Aragorn's arm.

            "No!"

            Aragorn jerked his arm away and held up his hands to imply for Legolas to back off. Shaking his head, Aragorn walked away and disappeared between the few trees that bordered the campsite on the right. Elrohir stared at his twin as Elladan dropped his head to his hands and cursed under his breathe. Glorfindel looked between Aragorn and Elladan, not knowing which one to go after. Which one needed him more? Valar, he was so going to have a long talk with Elrond when he got back. And then he will go on a long needed vacation to Lorien. That sounded so nice to him right about then. Glorfindel motioned for Legolas to stay with the twins as he jogged after Aragorn and leapt into the trees. He quickly tracked the human and stayed in the trees to quietly watch one of his charges. It would be just his luck that the human stumbles across a horde of orcs with the soul intent of poisoning the human and torturing him to the welcome mat of death's very own door.

            Aragorn stalked through the forest before finally stopping and leaning against a tree. Running his fingers through his hair and gripping it, he clenched his eyes shut and leaned his head back against the tree. He turned his mind to the forest and listened closely to the sounds from the animals, letting them relax him. He knew in his heart that Elladan did not mean what he had said but it still hurt nonetheless. His brothers and he rarely exchanged harsh words between each other but it occasionally happened. It would only take a day until they both apologized for the incident and go on being siblings. It was probably the fact that if one of them went out of Imladris, that individual may never come back and the harsh words would remain between them. Ruffling his unruly hair, he moved to a soft patch of grass and slowly lay down to lace his hands behind his head. He focused on relaxing every part of his body as he once learned from another healer from a town he had visited. Every once in a while he had to relax and center himself to become more aware of himself and his surroundings. Glorfindel watched quietly as Aragorn's breathing visibly slowed and his entire body relaxed. A few more minutes passed and the human was still and quiet, his chest barely moving as he breathed deeply.

            "You may come down from the tree now, Glorfindel."

            Glorfindel started when Aragorn spoke quietly before opening his eyes and turning his head to look directly at where Glorfindel hid. The human had sensed the warrior's presence when he had finally relaxed and expanded his awareness of the area surrounding him. Aragorn watched as the elf dropped from his perch and walked towards the human to stop a yard or two away. Clasping his hands together in front of him, Glorfindel watched the young man quietly as the two stared at each other. Aragorn raised an eyebrow as Glorfindel did the same and the human smiled.

            "You seem in a better mood than when you left the camp."

            "I am. I knew that Elladan did not mean what he said but it still hurt. This adventure is beginning to wear on me more than usual. I fear that I am starting to take it out on the others," Aragorn commented as he shrugged his shoulders.

            Aragorn sat up and accepted Glorfindel's hand to help him stand before dusting off his clothes. Unbeknownst to him, the elder elf was impressed by the human's ability to relax himself and look past his brother's words. The mentor felt a twinge of pride as he looked at the young man and remembered how small he use to be when he first came to Rivendell after his father was killed before his very eyes. The pain and anguish in his eyes when his mother left to live with her own people and when she finally died years after. Glorfindel had seen him mature into a young, confident man from an unsure, scared boy. His pride just about equaled that of Elrond's when he looked at his sons.

            Both of their heads suddenly snapped around when they heard sounds of fighting coming from the direction of their camp. Glorfindel tossed one of his twin blades to Aragorn as they both ran through the forest and emerged into the clearing. Glorfindel ducked quickly and rolled forward as a sword swung towards his head. Rolling onto his feet, the elf quickly lashed out with his sword and killed his opponent. Kneeling over the figure, he looked over the black robes that the figure wore before pushing back the deep hood. The face was old, far older than Glorfindel expected. The wrinkles went deep and a black marking was tattooed on his forehead. It was a square with three stripes going across it and the stripes merged together to one line and streaked beside his eye and down his cheek. Glorfindel stored the tattoo to memory and moved to join the rest of the fight. He suddenly heard a piercing screech and looked over to see one of the winged creatures that the Nazgul usually rode upon. Sauros was fiercely battling the other winged creature and the robed figure that sat upon its back. Sauros roared angrily and reared back as the creature's talons torn into his flesh.

            Aragorn dodged a blade and blocked a blow as his bandaged arm reminded him of his earlier wound. He saw Legolas by his side, sweeping his blades around him, cutting down any of the robed figures nearing him. Elrohir's bow sounded somewhere to his right as he killed another robed figure and looked around for another.  Finding none others, he looked around for each of their group to check that they had come out of the battle unscathed. Legolas was cleaning off his twin blades; Elrohir was collecting arrows; and Glorfindel was also looking around. Sauros was staring off into the distance, watching the black figure retreat in the sky.

            "Where is Elladan?" Aragorn called out to Elrohir and saw the other twin look up from his task.

            "I had seen him walk in that direction before the attack," Legolas offered and pointed in the direction away from the forest.

            Everyone started to search the area for any sign of Elladan and widened the circle bit by bit, hoping to find any sign of the elder twin. Legolas' cry alerted them all and they ran towards the Mirkwood elf as he knelt to the ground. He carefully picked up something and Elrohir gasped when he realized what it was. Legolas held Elladan's broken bow in his hands and slowly passed it up to Elrohir. Glorfindel walked a few steps ahead and picked up a single blade before spying its mate a few yards further ahead.

            "He was taken," he muttered what everyone else was thinking.

            "Who were they?" Legolas asked while glancing around at the dead robed figures.

            "They reeked of Glaurung. They were the order," Sauros commented angrily.

            "There is a tattoo on the forehead. What does that mean?" Glorfindel asked and described it to the dragon.

            "It is of Glaurung's make. Those loyal to him have it tattooed onto their forehead."

            "Who are the order and why would they take Elladan?" Elrohir asked as he carefully wrapped his twin's weapons in a blanket and stored them for the journey.

            Sauros hissed softly as he gently licked at his wounds from his battle. He knew of the order, or at least heard of it. The dragon clan knew of the history and rumors that circled around Glaurung and the order.

            "The order consists of those that have sworn their soul over to the darkness. They serve Glaurung and bring him what he needs to rejuvenate and nourish himself. They are almost like his slaves. They only reason I can think of why they took Elladan is too feed him to Glaurung."

            "What?"

            Sauros started back when everyone yelled the question at him. Elrohir looked slightly woozy and sick at the sudden information about what was awaiting his twin. Aragorn also looked sick as he looked around him in a daze.

            "If everyone is ready, we can fly after them and hopefully stop it," Sauros said and was suddenly staring at nothing as everyone scattered to collect their things.

            It was only a few short minutes until everything was bundled together and all weapons were strapped on. Sauros knelt down and ushered everyone onto his back before beating his wings to lift into the sky. His nose lifted into the wind and smelt for the scent trail of the men and winged creature that they were chasing. Everyone leaned closely over his back to avoid being buffeted by the wind as Sauros glided over the air streams and pressed his speed. He noted that the scent was leading him towards Cloudyhead and knew that his earlier assumption was probably correct. His sharp eyes caught sight of the black winged creature ahead flying and he pressed his body into a more aerodynamic shape as he shortened the distance.

            "Be ready to jump off," Sauros called back to everyone as his talons and teeth grew.

            Touching down outside the cave, everyone slid off just moments before Sauros leapt higher onto the mountain where the other winged creature sat. Aragorn and the others faced the robed figures that rushed towards them as another clump of them rushed down into the cave with a bundle being carried between them.

            "Elladan!" Elrohir screamed and saw the bundle start to struggle before one of the figures struck it hard.

            Anger boiled through Elrohir's veins as he pulled out his sword and started to battle any that came near him. No one harmed one of his brothers and got away with it. Their opponents protected the cave entrance fiercely as the small group of elves and one human fought their way through. Wounds both minor and deadly, were acquired by both sides as they battled. Legolas looked around tiredly as the battle ended and he leaned over his knees to catch his breathe. During the battle, an elbow had found its way into his gut to knock the air from his lungs and leave him breathless. Breathing slowly and shallowly, he lifted his head and looked around at his companions. Elrohir sported a shallow cut along his cheek that oozed blood down to his chin and drip to the ground. Glorfindel had a bruise at his jaw and a split lip. Aragorn was gripping his bicep where his earlier wound had started to bleed again and Legolas only had to guess that the human had somehow ripped his stitches out. Glancing back to Glorfindel, the elf lord nodded and started towards the cave's entrance and the others followed without a word between them.

()()()()()()()()()()

If we could have a moment of silence for Lina.

Well, here is the new chapter. It was a whole lot easier than the last chapter. I just waited for it to come and I took my time and let it roll around in my mind for a while. That and I had a lot of help with a new friend. But I hope you enjoy the chapter.

**_Linuvial_****_ Greenleaf-_** I am so proud of making you cry, even as depressing as that may sound. I have gotten a good bit of back lash about the death of Lina but I believe it was necessary. Hope you are enjoying your present, heehee. Oh, I just can not get over that. Tell your brother hi for me. Heehee.

**_Star-Stallion-_** (hands over a tissue) I am sorry that it was sad but it was needed. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Hiei-Rulez_****_-_** I like Uncle Bubbles, well other than having a bad attitude, but what are you to do? I have my small moments of self doubt when I think that I can not write worth a crap but it is usually when I hit writer's block. I think I will have Lina actually remain dead; I do not want to kill her and then bring her back upon realizing how much she was liked by people. I am sorry about your Hamster. Goober (my hamster) died a few years ago but I had only had him for a few months so I had never bonded much with him. Elladan will get over this with some time.

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_** It did come from Dragonheart but I did not remember that when I wrote it…bad Spades (slaps back of hand). I just had to kill off Lina, she had served her purpose. That sounded really wrong. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Elvendancer_****_-_** Do I need to hide from your sister? (glances around before grabbing a hat and a pair of sunglasses) Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Wolf Jade-_** Have I read your story yet? Probably have but I can not remember what stories I have read anymore. Did I review it? If not then bad me. I will head that way after posting and refresh my memory. Oh, babysitting a two and four year old must have been hard work. You like this one better than 'Unspoken Words'? First time I have heard that one; most people like 'Unspoken Words' better.

**_Catmint-_** Please no! (pulls out all VHSs and DVDs from entertainment center and hides in there before closing doors) Please do not hurt me! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Sielge_****_-_** Well thank you so much for the compliment. Reborn Warrior will be updated next and I was working on it a little earlier today when I was waiting to hear back from my beta slave. So, hopefully it will be out soon. Cross your fingers. You are seriously making me blush over here. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Bill the Pony2-_** I did kill Lina, I am sorry. She will be remembered. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Neoinean_****_-_** It took me forever to get around the Gondolin problem. I tossed ideas back and forth with another writer and LotR fan in Charleston for a while before we eventually came up with the sea-dragons. She loved the idea of the character being named Uncle Bubbles. I had originally imagined him being like Bubbles from Finding Nemo but I could not work that well. Lina was overlooked and that was probably when I realized that I need to kill her. Lina is really dead; I miss her already.

**_XxgemxX_****_-_** Thank you so much for the compliment. It was so hard for me to type that part about killing Lina but I knew that it had to be done eventually.

**_Alariel_****_-_** It was sad that I killed off Lina but she died honorably; at least I think she did. The others did need a harsh slap to clear their bungled heads, but they are men so what can I say? Information overload? That sounds exactly like what I have, honestly! Well, sadly, Fading Flame is finished (marvelous story) and I can not concentrate on my three stories and I actually have a number four in the works but that is just a side project. This story is almost finished as is 'An Ancient Bond', so pretty soon I am not going to have anymore stories up here that are in progress. But I will take is easy and not rush anything. I think my problem is that I am writing this story directly into my laptop and I usually write out my stories and then put them on the laptop. With the paper, I can take it to different places and get a good change of scenery without worrying if my laptop battery is about to die. I admit, I am fighting for quality. I see some stories out there that have only dialogue and absolutely no description and I just fear that my stories will turn into that so I work really hard at making the story good. I have taken up eating Dove chocolate bites and those are really good and I found something else to help me relax so I am doing marvelously now and everything is flowing at an easy rate. I took my time with this chapter and reread several parts that I had and edited a bit so I am happy with this chapter. Thank you so much for the input and inspiration and confidence. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Lynn_****_-G-_** It was cruel, very cruel, but necessary. Poor Elladan, poor everyone, poor me; I liked her.

**_Elven Kitten-_** Who is creepy? Uncle Bubbles? Or someone else? I so lost! Heehee, but yes, I killed off Lina. I had too; she was turning out too good to be true. I am working as hard as I can.

**_Andunea_****_ the Shapeshifter-_** I am sensing some sarcasm coming from your corner…wait, correct that, I am sensing a lot of sarcasm. Yes, the night owl has been getting her sleep. About two weekends I was doing horrible. I was getting up at about 6:45 in the morning so I could start painting and working on my room early before the sun started to shine into my room and making it god awful hot even with two fans going on high. This chapter will surprisingly be posted by 5:30 in the evening (gasps) I KNOW! I am actually posting early in the day and not some night at some hour that very few knew existed. I was having a hard time deciding on how I wanted to kill Lina and I figured that was a pretty unique way, no blood like there usually is. I like all of those, skittles, sweet-tarts, M as along as they have sugar in them. That is really bad too because I am a diabetic. I have this perfect scene planned out for when they all come home and Glorfindel sees Elrond for the first time. Heehee, I think it will be hilarious. The male species is actually very interesting. We should put them all in an environment together and watch the interaction and only take them out for experiments and studies. Heehee. Those little bits with the past and present adjectives, I usually spot them but sometimes a few will slip past my nets and hide in a really long paragraph towards the end. They are sneaky. I usually use very proper English in my speech and writing but sometimes my hand does not write what my mind or mouth is saying. There is a communication problem between those two.

**_Snow-Glory-_** Sweet-tarts are yummy. Might get some at the movies tonight.

**_Dha_****_-Gal-_** Quick question for you. Were you the one that always talked about Les Miserables? If you are then I finally read it a few months ago. I never see you on IM anymore so I could not tell you then so I will tell you here. I thought it was a really good book. Did you know that Hugo (or perhaps someone else; found this out a few weeks ago) wrote something sort of a sequel to it? I thought it was interesting. Skittles with supernatural powers? (grabs bag and starts pouring into mouth). 'Ope yu 'ad a go'od 'cation.

**_Kelly Kragen-_** The reason that Keanu Reeves was on the banner was because I needed someone to pose as the twins (I admit that it was a bad idea) and I thought that they might be good twins. It was an error on my part. Dragons everywhere! Sauros is a trip; he is like everything that I think in my head that I really can not say out loud or I will get into trouble. Which is not out of the ordinary but still. Thank you so much for putting me on your favourite authors and author alerts. I am extremely honored. 'Reborn Warrior' will be the next to be updated and then 'An Ancient Bond' and then this one again. You are really making me blush over here with your compliments. I never handle compliments well. Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing was bloody hot! Yummy; not sure how Sauros reminds you of him but oh well. I will take it as a compliment. Sauros says thank you too. I have a little three or four inch tall Sauros sitting on my bookcase. I found him hiding in London when I was last there a few weeks ago. He is my cute little dragon.

**_Astievia_****_- _**I killed poor Lina (wails) I am so sorry! (sobs). Enjoy.


	20. Chapter 20

_It is not the size of the dog in the fight, but rather the size of the fight in the dog.—Mark Twain_

            The tunnel was sporadically lit by torches attached to the walls and Aragorn grabbed one from the wall and held it in front of them. His sword was out and ready with everyone behind him as they slowly moved along. Aragorn's muscles were painfully tense as he silently moved along. The tunnel wound deep into the mountain but slowly inclined upward. Several other tunnels branched off the main one but they followed the heavy footprints. They all froze when a scream of pain shot down the tunnel and they each looked at each other. Elrohir surged forward and only Glorfindel's restraining hand held him back. Elrohir's fiery gaze was enough to scorch any elf other than Glorfindel. The elder elf shook his head mutely and motioned for everyone to move forward quickly. They needed to move quickly and find out what they were against before rushing in there. The cave slowly widened and light flickered on the floor from a light source.

            A large bonfire was in the center of the room, illuminating every corner except a large cave with bones scattered around the entrance. About twenty robed figures were kneeling in rows facing the cave as they chanted softly and swayed side to side. Scanning the floor, they quickly located Elladan to the left of the cave. Glorfindel softly swore to himself upon seeing the state of the older twin. A metal stake had been driven through the elf's calf and pinned him to the ground. His hands were tied behind his back which was turned to Glorfindel. That stake wiped out any hopes for a quick rescue; Glorfindel noted and looked back to the others.

            "Elrohir, you and Legolas go straight to Elladan. Estel and I will dispose of the others," he directed as each of them nodded.

            "What of Glaurung?"

            "Let us deal with the minions first, then we will concern ourselves with Glaurung."

            Legolas, Aragorn, and Elrohir strung their bows and released their arrows at the same time to send everything into chaos. Elrohir and Legolas sprinted straight for Elladan as Glorfindel and Aragorn engaged the servants of Glaurung. The two worked to draw everyone away from Elladan and the others but they were slowly moving closer towards the cave's mouth. The ones that were pressing against Aragorn suddenly froze and stared at something above and behind Aragorn. They slowly started to back away while staring and Aragorn slowly turned his head to look behind him. Meeting nothing but blackness, his gaze slowly moved upwards before locking gazes with two very angry looking red eyes.

            "Oh Valar," he muttered and slowly moved back.

            Red marks streaked the black flesh and scales. Smoke curled from the flared nostrils and a tongue flickered out to taste the air. His head slowly pulled back and Aragorn suddenly realized what he was about to do. Swearing, Aragorn dove to the side just as a fireball shot past him. Landing on the ground, he shrugged out of his coat and pounded out the flames. He scrambled out of the way and narrowly avoided sharp teeth that came after him. Glorfindel barely managed to yell a warning before Glaurung's snout slammed into Aragorn and sent him flying against the wall. Falling to the ground in a boneless lump, Aragorn groaned and shook his head to clear the stars. His hands immediately went to his burning side and felt the hot blood that poured from his side. When Glaurung had knocked him aside, the dragon's sharp tooth had gouged open his side and now it burned sharply with every breath. He slowly lifted his head from the wound and looked at the dragon as it slowly walked towards him. Looking across the cave, he spotted the others clustered around Elladan as Glorfindel stared at Aragorn. Chunks of the stone ceiling started to fall as fissures streaked down the wall.

            "Go! Get Elladan and the others out!" Aragorn yelled and covered his head and neck as chunks of rock fell around him.

            With a loud crack, the entire ceiling collapsed with a large cloud of dust as two gigantic beings fell with the ceiling. Stone crushed underneath their weight as Sauros savagely bit the winged creature's neck, instantly killing it. Sauros threw his head back and roared painfully loud before lowering his head and glaring at Glaurung. Aragorn's eyes widened at the sight of the blood red dragon. Blood oozed from other wounds and splattered onto the stone as the two dragons bared their teeth at the other.

            "You can not kill me, Sauros," Glaurung snarled in a gravely voice with as much of an accent that a dragon could have.

            "Good to see you also, Glaurung. I had hoped that you would stay dead; hope it does not offend you," Sauros replied with a snarl as he dropped his snout close to the ground.

            Sauros and Glaurung leapt at each other with a roar and clashed in the middle as their roars filled the cave. Sauros' claws were sharp talons that dug painfully into Glaurung and ripped strips of flesh from him. His canine teeth extended far past his jaw and the tips glinted dangerously as chunks of stone fell around them and made everything seem surreal. Aragorn wrapped and arm around his abdomen and scrambled back to the wall to narrowly avoid a falling boulder. He felt his ribs grate against each other and knew that he had at least a few broken ribs and probably had some internal bleeding from his encounter with the wall; and enough bruises to last a life time. The fire in the center of the cave started to spread and blazed around the two dragons locked in a deadly dance. Glaurung knocked Sauros back and the red dragon skidded to the wall on his eyes. Snarling fiercely, Sauros leapt at Glaurung and latched onto the black dragon's neck. Blood stained the ground as blood streamed from both dragons and created rivulets across the floor to be burned off by the flames. Sauros buried his teeth into Glaurung's throat and ferociously tore away a large chunk of the black dragon's throat. Blood poured from the injury and Glaurung faltered before falling back. Sauros reared back and flames erupted from his nose to engulf Glaurung before arching his long neck and roaring towards the sky. The sound reverberated and sent new chunks of stone falling around him as smoke drifted from his nostrils. He turned to look around the cave and saw the dark shape against the wall as he slowly moved towards it with downcast eyes.

()()()()

            "We have to go back for him! We can not leave him in there!" Elladan cried weakly as Legolas and Elrohir supported him between them as they hurried down the mountain.

            "I am sure that Estel will be fine, Elladan. He is a stubborn human and will not die by something as easy as a small mountain caving in," Legolas said but worriedly glanced behind him.

            He caught Glorfindel's eye and saw the elf shake his head minimally to imply that he hadn't seen Aragorn escape the cave. Legolas bit his bottom lip in worry and carefully watched his footing as Elrohir and he carried Elladan down the mountain before finding a small clearing that would work as a temporary campsite. Elrohir quickly arranged his herbs as Legolas built a fire and moved to help Elrohir with his brother's leg. Glorfindel kept his eyes on the mountain, scanning for any sign of his human charge or either one of the dragons. He was really hoping that it would be Sauros but he had to be realistic. Sauros was already injured from his battle with the winged creature when he engaged Glaurung and the black dragon was a tad bit bigger. Glorfindel rubbed his eyes before turning to help with Elladan as they cleaned out the wound.

            "You have small bits of debris in the wound. It would be best if you drink some of Ada's tea before I start," Elrohir advised his brother softly while resting his hand on his brother's shoulder.

            Elladan weakly nodded as his head lolled to the side and he gazed tiredly into the distance. He felt his tentative grasp on the world slowly start to slip away as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he lapsed into unconsciousness. Elrohir glanced over at his twin and did a double take. He could see the whites of Elladan's eyes through his lidded eyes and Elrohir reached out and placed his hand on Elladan's arm. The skin was cold and clammy before he searched for a pulse. His heart was weak yet rapid and Elrohir swore as he grabbed a blanket and started to wrap his brother in it.

            "He is going into shock," he muttered to Legolas and Glorfindel and quickly turned to his pack. "Legolas elevate his legs a bit; put them above the level of the heart."

            Elrohir pulled out the water canteen and lifted Elladan's head to dribble some water into his brother's mouth. Handing the canteen over to Glorfindel, Elrohir quickly worked on the thigh and removed any other debris before spreading a mixture into it and binding it. He would wait to stitch it until he was sure infection hadn't set in and avoid that extra pain for his brother. He carefully monitored his twin's heart rate and respiration for a moment before nodding his head slightly.

            "He should be fine once his body replaces his blood volume," he muttered and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

            "What should we do about Estel?" Legolas asked quietly as he stood next to Glorfindel.

            Elrohir glanced up to the two standing behind him and glanced over towards the mountain before turning his attention back to Elladan. He had one brother in front of him and he didn't know where the other was. He would concentrate on Elladan and deal with the other brother later once the one he knew was alive was out of danger. Legolas gently rubbed his jaw where he was sporting a nasty bruise from the battle and glanced over to Glorfindel. The lord was still staring at the mountain almost waiting for Aragorn to suddenly appear but knew the chances were minimal.

            "I know not, Legolas. Is there any chance that Aragorn may have survived that cave in?"

            "Aragorn can survive most things but I am not sure about a cave in. Especially after the destruction that Sauros and Glaurung could bring to that cave," Legolas said softly as the realization that he may have lost Estel was dawning on him.

            "I can not believe that Estel is dead," Glorfindel muttered, wondering how he was possibly going to tell Elrond that his youngest was dead.

            The two stood silently as they wallowed in their own sorrow and came to terms with their lost loved one. Legolas bowed his head and tried to control the tears threatening to fall from his eyes and to the hard dirt that he stood upon. He suddenly sensed a faint tingling traveling up his legs. Opening his eyes, he saw small chunks of dirt and stone vibrating across the ground and the vibrations were traveling up his legs. He glanced over at Glorfindel and saw the confusion upon the elder elf's face at what was happening. The ground under them suddenly jerked violently and they struggled to gain their balance as Elrohir quickly leaned over his brother to protect him. A cluster of birds sprang up from nearby and flew away as larger chunks of stone rolled down the mountain towards them. Glorfindel and Legolas jumped aside and watched for any rocks that may injure Elrohir and the prone Elladan. Before the tremors stopped, a large explosion of rocks erupted from atop the mountain and spread out from the epicenter to crash down around the mountain. Jerking away and watching the falling stones, they looked back to the mountain and saw something large slowly crawl out from the top. Legolas' jaw dropped in shock at the sight of Sauros slowly limp down the mountain side and towards them with something cradled in his clawed hand. Blood streamed from countless wounds upon the dragon's body as he walked towards them before stopping a few yards away. Lowering his clawed hand, he gently laid Aragorn's body onto the ground before laying down himself. Aragorn's head lolled to the side and stared at them with unseeing eyes with blood plastered down the left side of Aragorn's face. Legolas stumbled backwards and tripped over a small tuft of grass to fall directly on his rear. He barely registered the pain that shot up his spine as he stared at the body in front of him and refused to believe what his eyes were showing him. Shaking off his shock, Glorfindel rushed forward and quickly searched for a pulse. Swearing at the thick layer of blood, he held back his hair and pressed his ear to the human's chest and listened closely.

            "He is alive! Legolas, help me with him!" Glorfindel yelled and pressed his hands against the wound to stop the flow of blood.

            Snapping out of his shock, Legolas scrambled to his feet and sprinted to Glorfindel's side. They carefully lifted Aragorn and carried him to where Elrohir was with Elladan and where all the herbs were. Elrohir folded up a spare tunic and handed it to Glorfindel to replace his hands on the wound. The pressure caused the human to moan and his eyes slowly slid shut as his hands weakly moved to push away the pressure.

            "Easy, Estel, just relax," Glorfindel soothed and pressed away the hand to pin it down.

            "He has lost a lot of blood," Elrohir muttered and carefully lifted one of Estel's eyelids and checked the dilation.

            He quickly mixed several liquids together and washed out the wound while feeling Aragorn tense under him. The human slowly struggled to consciousness as the pain pulsed through him. Moaning, he heard someone softly talking to him while someone else held down his arms. Tossing his head side to side, he forced his eyes open and weakly blinked at the bright sunlight.

            "Aragorn, can you hear me?" Legolas asked softly as he rested a hand on the human's shoulder.

            "Unfortunately, yes," he groaned and allowed his eyes to slid shut.

            "Are you in a lot of pain?"

            Aragorn slowly opened one of his eyes and glanced at the Mirkwood elf, not believe that he actually asked that question.

            "No."

            "Are you lying?"

            "Yes. Of course I…am in pain. What do…you think? I only moan…when in perfect health. You sometimes need to…carry around…a stupid sign," he ground out sarcastically and hissed sharply as Elrohir probed the torn flesh.

            Legolas raised an eyebrow before glancing over at Glorfindel who was trying to smother his laughter and smile. If Aragorn was joking like this then he must being well; but then again, it seemed that sarcasm never really left the man at any time. Glorfindel moved aside for Elrohir as the younger twin started to stitch the wound closed after numbing the area. The elf lord stepped over to where Sauros still lay as the dragon slowly opened his eyes to gaze at whom was approaching him.

            "Glaurung is dead then?"

            "He is; buried under several tons of rock so I hope that he is dead. If not then he has earned the privilege of living and I for one will not dispute it," the dragon muttered weakly as he lifted his head and carefully licked at a wound on his shoulder. "Lord Glorfindel, if you would be so nice as to help me with this?"

            Glorfindel looked at the large chunk of wood that was protruding from the dragon's ribs before gripping it tightly and pressing a foot against the scales to get leverage. With one mighty jerk the wood slid free as Sauros' talons dug into the dirt and he barred his teeth. Tossing it aside, Glorfindel pulled out any left over pieces of wood from the wound before moving aside to let Sauros lick at the wound.

            "How did you get a log stuck in you?"

            Sauros lifted his head and looked at the elf lord as if to question if he really wanted that question answered.

            "I would be happy to show you if you are really interested?" the dragon questioned sarcastically and went back to cleaning his wounds.

            Glorfindel narrowed his eyes at the red dragon but had to admit that he was glad to have the sarcastic animal back. Someone to keep the young ones in line and out of trouble.

            "How does he fare?"

            Glorfindel turned and glanced over to where Elrohir was working on his little brother and quietly talking to him.

            "He will be well once he rests and builds up his blood again. How are you faring?" Glorfindel question quietly and stepped back to look over the dragon.

            "It would probably be helpful if Lord Elrohir could look me over before he puts away his healing herbs. I received a few scratches from Glaurung."

            "A few scratches…right. Just like the young ones."

()()()()()()()()()()()

Well everyone, here is the new chapter and the second to last chapter of this story. There is one more chapter after this one and I hope everyone has enjoyed the story up to this point. I am sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out; I just had so many other stories going at once that sometimes I accidentally forget about one. So, hope everyone liked the chapter and until next update. Cheers.

**_Linuvial_****_ Greenleaf-_** "Here's your sign." Heehee, that is just freaking hilarious; gah, I love it. You will just beat all the axe murders with your baseball bat like you destroy everything else with. Your brother is just a trip; he sounds hilarious. My story count about to be turned into four stories instead of five; my head hurts from all these stories.

**_Wolf Jade-_** I am so bad about remembering the stories that I have read. Sometimes, I will start reading one of mine and think that it sounds really familiar and then I realize why. Silly ole me. Heehee. I am so honored that you think so highly of my stories and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Story is almost done though, poor Spades.

**_Elven Kitten-_** Uncle Bubbles was just a throw-back from the deep, dark recesses of my mind. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

**_SirTiddywinkle_****_-_** I just love your name; so original, really! I figured that I have not written a story that someone died and I thought it would be good of me to kill off my own new character. I could never kill off Sauros though; maybe one of the other dragons but not Sauros. But anyway, I am getting off on a tangent, thank you for the review and enjoy!

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_** Hope I did not make you wait a really long time for this chapter. I hate it when authors take a really long time to update; so long that I completely forget what the entire story is about. Really hate that. Thank you so much for the compliment and enjoy!

**_Got-lotr-_** It was not? Do not see why not? Oh well; minor error on my part.

**_Star-Stallion-_** Yeah! I have updated! They got Danny back a bit bruised and bloody but he is fine and dandy. Or will be at least.

**_XxgemxX_****_-_** It seems that it is never his day, or Elrohir's, whenever they are into some adventure with their little brother. The bad luck is contagious. I am glad that you liked the fights; I usually find that most fights scenes are lacking and I like fight scenes so I try to make them good. It does take seven days to get there but that is on foot and they flew. Sauros really poured on the speed to catch up to the winged creature and the people that took Elladan.

**_Sielge_****_-_** Well thank you so much for the compliment; true, this is the second to last chapter of this story. I am so sad about that trust me. I do have another story in the works; a sequel of sorts to An Ancient Bond and Reborn Warrior is still a ways off from being finished. A new idea may strike me any day and I just have to put it down on paper. Probably will happen at sometime. Enjoy!

**_Grumpy-_** Dragon food! Heehee; I do not know…he might be a little tough to chew. Oh I am so bad. Enjoy!

**_Kelly Kragen-_** Yuppers, I did find Sauros in London. A little miniature version of him at least. Yes, Lina is really dead and I still can not believe it that I killed her off but it was needed. I was searching around the Encyclopedia of Arda one day and saw dragons so I clicked on it and started reading and read out Glaurung so I thought that it would be a really good idea for a story to throw him in there. The stories have an order in which I update them; this one, then Reborn Warrior, then An Ancient Bond, then this one again, then Reborn Warrior and then I have no idea because two of the stories will be completed. An Ancient Bond only has one more chapter to go and then I have the sequel to it to finish which I have already started on but really have made not head-way because I have been working on these stories and no others. Can not do the sequels until the first ones are completed.

**_Hiei-Rulez_****_-_** Take him! I just find him hot and yummy but that is it! I went to see the movie with a huge Jackman fan and she grabbed my hand when that scene came up and I will admit that we were both drooling at it. He has a very nice chest. Heehee, such a bad Spades. Shovels are very useful…as are baseball bats. Learn new things every day.

**_Snow-Glory-_** Yes, they did reach Cloudyhead quickly. Sauros really poured on the speed when they were chasing the winged creature and the people that took Elladan. I am about to knock out two stories that have one more chapter until they are done and then it will only be Reborn Warrior until I decide to post the sequel to An Ancient Bond. This is my longest story ever that I have written; mine are usually about fifteen chapters but his one is going to be twenty-one chapters. So long.

**_Catmint-_** Thank you so much for the compliment. I am seriously blushing over here. Enjoy!

**_Andunea_****_ the Shapeshifter-_** I can be really sarcastic when I want to be but it is rare when I deem someone important enough to use my sarcasm on. My brother is an example. When I was thinking about how to kill Lina, I really did not want to do it the usual way; aka with blood or sword or jumping in front of a blade for someone. So I thought of having something almost crush her and then her drowning. That really has got to the be worst way to die, by drowning. Aragorn does not always have to be the one to find the fight; he is just the usual suspect. Heehee.

**_Legalady_****_-_** I know, I killed Lina. Bad me. I am so glad that you missed me. I hope you had a good time visiting your family from Wisconsin and going to Missouri. What is in Missouri? But anyway, I am getting off topic. I missed you too and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am anxiously awaiting the poem for An Ancient Bond.

**_Lynn-G-_** It is poor me! I liked Lina; why else would I have created her? Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**_Neoinean_****_-_** I surprised you did I in taking Elladan and not Aragorn? Lina just had to die so I gave her a respectful death or as respectful that death can be.

**_S.M.D.-_** Congrats on deciphering the code. I had few people to actually do it.

**_Dha_****_-Gal-_** I hope you had a good time at band camp and at your cousins. I hate my cousin. Oh well.


	21. Chapter 21

_You know, fathers just have a way of putting everything together.—Erika Cosby_

Elrond stared out at the empty courtyard and clasped his hands behind his back with a sigh. It had been several weeks since he last received any message from anyone on the journey. Normally that did not worry him but this journey included all three of his sons, the prince of Mirkwood, a sarcastic dragon, and an elf lord. Elrond wasn't worried about any of the younger elves or the dragon, nay, he was worried about Glorfindel. The elf lord had been stuck with the young ones for far longer than most people will want to be stuck with them. He had an odd feeling that Glorfindel was going to take a small journey to Lorien to take a break from the twins, Legolas, and Aragorn. Elrond wondered if he would be able to join the Gondolin elf. A nice vacation away from healing the young ones and listening to their outrageous stories which normally would seem far from the truth but inevitably somehow happened. The elf lord shook his head in amazement as he remembered some of the stories that he has heard come from his sons and the prince. How is it possible for them to get into so much trouble? They always say that they never go looking for trouble but they have to. There is just no way that they can just stumble across that amount of trouble without actually looking for it.

Rolling his eyes, Elrond glanced towards the large gates and saw the metal gates slowly swing open to allow entrance to some visitors. Elrond's jaw almost hit the floor as Elrohir slowly rode through the gates with his twin before him on the horse. Behind the youngest twin came the others and a limping dragon that looked like they had gone through the army of Sauron. Elrond turned on his heel and sprinted out of the room and down the hallways to the main doors. Throwing them open, he went down the steps as they slowly climbed down from their mounts and a few had to be helped. Legolas held Aragorn to his side and Elrohir supported most of Elladan's weight as the five travelers and dragon stood in front of the elf lord.

"All of you, inside, now," he directed and moved to help Legolas with the unconscious human.

Oh, Elrond just could not wait to hear this story. Especially seeing the deadly glares that Glorfindel was shooting him as they slowly proceeded to the healing rooms. This looks like one to go down in one of his history books, Elrond mused to himself as they pushed open the doors to the healing rooms.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Elrond ran under the rain drops and quickly ducked under the large canopy that he had the elves of Rivendell build while the group was gone. Inside lounged Sauros and Aurora as the two dragons laid over each other in a perfect image of relaxation. Upon Sauros' side was a thick bandage that Elrond himself helped stitched together before wrapping it around the dragon to patch up one of his more major wounds. All of his herbs and utensils had to be quadrupled in size to fit the large animal. He was on strict orders to rest and not strain any of the injured muscles or pull any of the stitches. Aurora had taken it upon herself to ensure that he followed orders which left Sauros grumbling good-naturedly.

"Good evening, Master Dragons. How are you this evening?"

"Oppressed," Sauros muttered and Aurora's tail snaked around to whack Sauros over the back of the head.

Elrond chuckled as Sauros rolled his eyes before lifting his head and rubbing snouts with the silver dragon.

"I am sure Elladan and Estel are feeling the same way. Elrohir and Legolas have not left their sides since they arrived three days ago."

"How are they doing, Lord Elrond? No one has told me any news of their condition and I do worry about them," Sauros commented worriedly as he watched Elrond.

"Aragorn sustained a nasty gash to his side which became infected but his fever broke earlier this afternoon and I expect him to wake sometime this evening. Elladan's calf is slowly healing but it is doing well. Elrohir refused to let him out of bed unless he is there to aid him which is annoying Elladan to no limit. Legolas has remained by Aragorn's side the entire time and refuses to go anywhere which is not surprising in the least. I thought I would get away from Glorfindel's death glares for sending him on this journey and come to check on you."

"I must admit that I soon started to worry about the lord's condition when I found him talking to himself about things that he would do to the twins, Aragorn, and Legolas once they were all well. Also a few things about what he would say to you," Sauros commented and noted the flash of fear that danced across the elf lord's face.

"Oh, Valar; that means that I shall have to stay away from him for a while. Perhaps I should send him to Lorien for a few months to get some rest from this mad house. Lucky skunk," Elrond muttered under his breath as Sauros and Aurora snickered.

"Now really, my lord, do you mean all that?" Aurora asked sweetly as Elrond sighed.  
"No, I really do not. I must admit that they keep everyone on their toes, especially the healers. Who knew that my sons would be the reason that the healers research practically unheard of poisons just preparing for the day when they come home with a one in a million affliction that no one else in a trillion years has contracted," Elrond muttered as he rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Do not think of how many times they have come home injured and on the brink of death; think of how many times they have healed and had the courage and strength to go back out there and get injured while trying to save their friends and family. Which would you rather have? Sons that are scared of the outside world and hide in their rooms or sons that faces their fears head on and refuses to be beaten down by any circumstances?" Sauros asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"You have a talent of putting things into perspective, Master Sauros," Elrond complimented with a small bow.

"Yes, well, I figure I had better get in the talent since we may have a little one of our own running around Rivendell reeking havoc."

It took Elrond a moment for his mind to grasp the meaning behind the dragon's words and he quickly felt the world slam to a halt. A baby dragon running around Rivendell? Getting into trouble with the twins, Aragorn, and Legolas? A mini-Sauros that blows fire and spits sarcastic remarks at the drop of a twig? Oh Valar, Rivendell would never be the same, he mused and felt a headache slowly start behind his eyes.

"You are really with child?" he asked Aurora with a sigh.

"I am, my lord," she replied with a smile as Elrond pressed the heels of his hands to his temples.

"This is not happening, this is not happening to me. I will not go insane before going to Valinor and seeing Celebrían again; this is not happening to me. They are going to be the death of me, I swear. It will be a miracle if they survive to sail," he muttered before taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it.

Raising his head, he looked to the two dragons that watched him worriedly as he smiled.

"That is marvelous news Mistress Aurora. Your child will provide a new source of," he coughed, "entertainment for Rivendell. If you would please excuse me, I need to start packing for my trip to Lothlorien. Just wondering though, how long is a dragon's gestation period?"

"Eleven months."

"Thank you much."

Elrond quickly hurried away as Sauros and Aurora looked at each other.

"I worry about that elf at some," Sauros muttered and rested his head back against Aurora's side.

"I do as well, my beloved. I do as well."

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

He should have seen him coming. There were plenty of places around Rivendell to hide from someone and he knew all of them seeing as how he was the lord of this realm. But then again Glorfindel probably could have sniffed him out and find his hiding spot. Elrond wondered if this was how the twins, Estel, or Legolas felt like when he gave them a lecture about something that they did. He would have to remember how it felt like to be lectured like a young one which was exactly what Glorfindel was doing to him now.

"And if you ever send me on a journey with any one of those four, the dragon included; then I will personally find a Balrog and let him have you. And you actually thought that they would return from this journey with nothing but a scratch? Please, Lord Elrond, those four are almost as bad as Elros and you were. They would be the only four young ones that would go out into a forest and actually be attacked by the only rabid, poisonous, murderous rabbit in all of Middle-Earth! And the only possible cure for said rabid, poisonous, murderous rabbit would be on the opposite side of the lands and is protected by another rabid, poisonous, murderous animal which would injure one of them that tried to retrieve the antidote. I had a hard enough prior life, I thought this life would be easier than the first one!"

"Well it actually is-"

"Not another word! I am going to pack my traveling pack and leave for Lorien where I can find some peace from this dysfunctional family," Glorfindel raved and Elrond flinched mentally.

'I hope he remembers who all resides Lorien,' he thought with a silent snicker.

Glorfindel spun and left the room as Elrond slumped against the desk. He suddenly pitied that Balrog that Glorfindel slew and knew that he really wouldn't want to be on that bad elf's side. Marvelous, first he had all four of the young ones that soon enough would heal and would want to get out of the house and get themselves injured and he had a baby dragon on the way and now his closest companion was about to have a mental breakdown. He looked up when he sensed a presence standing in the doorway and found his eldest leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed across his chest and a faint smile on his face.

"Glorfindel lectured you already?" Elladan asked and Elrond rolled his eyes.

"The only elf ever allowed to lecture me and he takes that privilege to heart, believe me," Elrond commented dryly and rounded the desk to take his seat.

"He does; I think it is a throwback from killing a Balrog. It is probably best to just allow him leniency in that matter."

"I agree fully. How is your leg?" he asked as he sat and pulled some papers towards him.

"Still a bit sore but it is minor. Elrohir has been over-protective as ever since we got back."

"I do not blame him. That wound on your calf was bad and it will take some time to build back up the muscle mass that was loss. Estel might heal quicker than you for once."

"How is Estel? I saw Legolas sitting with him when I passed his room and glanced in."

"He will be fine once the infection clears up and the fever breaks. The delirium is starting to bother Legolas but it all will pass once Estel wakes up and is coherent," Elrond said as Elladan nodded.

"I thought we had done everything on the way back to keep his wound from becoming infected. Apparently we did not."

"I would have been shocked if he did make it here without the wound becoming infected. It was a long journey you partook; it was inevitable," Elrond supplied as Elladan rubbed his face with both his hands.

"I know, Ada, but I feel somehow responsible."

"Elladan, your wound was infected also, albeit not as bad as Estel's but you could not have helped him any. For the majority of the journey, you were unconscious on behalf of your brother. Which I did talk to him about, by the way."

Elladan sighed and walked into his father's office to sit in one of the plush chairs. Stretching out his long legs, he held a hand over his eyes as he slouched in the chair. Elrond rolled his eyes and wondered when his sons would ever learn to sit properly anywhere. They did great at formal functions but everywhere else was another matter. Probably came from sitting by one of their injured friends or family members for long hours when they were injured and it was questionable if they would survive. Elrond looked over to his eldest son and watched as Elladan sighed deeply.

"Legolas will probably need a replacement soon so he may get some food. Go and take over for him; it will do you good to sit with your brother some," Elrond suggested and turned his attention to the papers on his desk.

He listened as Elladan pushed himself out of the chair and left the room as Elrond smiled faintly. There were some things that he would never change about any of his sons: their compassion for each other being a major one.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Elladan pushed open the door and silently stepped into the healing room to find Estel asleep in bed and Legolas sprawled out on a chair. The eldest twin flinched when he saw how the Mirkwood elf lay and knew that his neck would hurt something horrible when he woke up. Walking to his little brother's bedside, Elladan sat down and pulled the blankets down to Estel's waist. Undoing the bandage, he gently ran his fingers across the stitches and jumped when a hand weakly grabbed his.

"That tickles," Estel murmured tiredly and turned his head towards where Elladan sat.

His eyes slowly flickered open and he tiredly blinked a few times to bring Elladan's face into focus. Elladan's face broke into a grin as he slowly disengaged his brother's grip from his wrist.

"Good to see you awake, little brother. How do you feel?" he asked softly as Estel's eyes slowly shifted around the room.

"Like I had a mountain fall on me," he muttered and then faintly chuckled which turned into a grimace.

Elladan shushed him when Legolas shifted in his chair and mumbled something in his sleep. Elladan pressed the bandage back over the wound and pulled the blanket back up to keep the human warm.

"You actually did have a mountain fall on you. That is a new one even for you and I would greatly love to hear how you were able to get out with only one major injury, well the fractured ribs are not that important but still," Elladan commented as Aragorn weakly grinned.

"I shall tell you how…I can become very small when I want to," he muttered and gently patted Elladan's hand to assure his brother that he was okay.

Elladan laughed out loud and watched as Legolas jerked awake and looked around the room in confusion. He passed a hand over his face as he yawned before realizing that Elladan was there and Aragorn was awake.

"How is your neck?" Elladan asked as the Mirkwood elf rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace.

"Aches. How is your calf?"

"Aches. I will go and get Ada," Elladan said and stood to go and tell his father that Aragorn was awake.

Legolas moved closer to the bed as Aragorn slowly turned and looked at the blond elf with a faint yet tired grin. He could see that Legolas was tired and knew it was probably because the elf hadn't slept in anything better than the chair he currently occupied. Aragorn didn't expect anything else; he knew how Legolas acted when he was injured.

"You have not been taking care of yourself," he muttered as his eyes drifted over his friend.

"You just woke up and your fever has broken and here you are lecturing me on taking care of myself?"

"Have to make sure that you take care of yourself or else you will not," he muttered and rolled his head back to stare at the ceiling.

"Sure, Estel. You just rest and we will finish this conversation later," Legolas said softly as his friend's eyes fluttered shut.

"Later? Like always?" he muttered sleepily.

"Yes, before our next adventure which you will surely take us on."

"You would not have it any other way," Aragorn said softly before slipping into sleep again.

Legolas smiled and brushed away a bit of lint on his friend's blanket and leaned back to prop his legs up on the bed. His hand rested atop of Aragorn's on the blanket as he leaned his head back and turned to stare out the window. He could see Sauros and Aurora under their makeshift hut gently nosing each other. His ears picked up the faint sounds of Elrond, Elrohir, and Elladan come down the hallway talking among themselves. A smile tugged at his lips as everything in Rivendell fell to where they were supposed to be.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

And there is the end of Order of Glaurung. I hope everyone has enjoyed it up to this point and everyone feels satisfied with how the story ended. I do apologize deeply for taking so long to update this story but school and work is kicking my ass and my writing time is severely limited. I am working on the stories though, I promise.

**_Got-lotr-_** A mug of rum???? I love rum! And big hugs from my reviewers, I love hugs from my reviewers. I hope you have you enjoyed this story. I am sad that it is over.

**_Deana-_** Enjoy!

**_Linuvial_****_ Greenleaf-_** Sauros is just awesome! I think he is my best OC ever in all of my stories. He saved you from the Krazy glue incident? I thought he just sat there and laughed. Heehee. Well I have now finished two stories and now have four to either work on or finally finish. The sequel to An Ancient Bond is going to take me a while to work on and mould it into a good story. I have the idea in my head and now I just have to put it down on paper, like usual. Hope you enjoyed the story and are still willing to be my beta reader; such a hard job I know. Heehee.

**_Elven Kitten-_** Yeah, evil dragon is gone for good. No more nightmares and/or out of body experiences for poor Aragorn. Have to admit though; Sauros kicked some serious ass in that final battle scene.

**_Lynn_****_-G-_** Hope I did not take too long getting this chapter to you; I tried to write as quickly as I could, really I did.

**_Kelly Kragen-_** I know, it is so damn depressing to know that this story is over with and finished with. Dragons are a cool species. Kind of wish they were real and around today but then that would mean that humans would not be at the top of the food chain and I like it up here. Yes, the sequel to An Ancient Bond will be up soon… or at least I hope soon. And I have been working on Reborn Warrior lately so hopefully I will have a new chapter for that one soon. Enjoy!

**_Neoinean_****_-_** Yes, Glaurung is finally dead; took damn long enough too. Heehee. Hope you enjoyed the final chapter of this drawn-out saga. Now the question is if I should write another story after this one with the dragons. So many questions and options.

**_Wolf Jade-_** Yes, this one has ended but now I have the others to work on and finish those before my brain melts out or calculus takes away all my free brain cells. Hope you enjoyed the ride.

**_Andunea_****_ the Shapeshifter-_** Well thank you so much for the compliment; I am glad that you enjoyed that chapter. This was a quick post? I thought I took a really long time to get this chapter up as with all my other chapters. Oh well, just as long as I get them out right?

**_Sielge_****_-_** This story is now all finished, it is so sad. My dragons are kick ass and will definitely have to make cameo appearances in other stories. Definitely.

**_Elvendancer_****_-_** The time is now…10:17 in the evening on Monday. So, not too late to post this chapter. For me, school has been in since August 23 I believe. Or right around there. So I have been in here for a while. Bleh, I do not like school. I am getting a lot of sleep now, kind of have too. School and work wipes me out.

**_Catmint-_** You can not see it but I am blushing a bright red now at your compliments. Thank you so much for them, they mean so much to me and keep my spirits up when I write. Enjoy!

**_Ringmarciel_****_-_** Happens all the time to me. But also because I can rarely just get on line and wander around and read everything so it takes me a week or two to find a story that I started reading and I have to go back and reread the entire thing. Such a waste of time but that is me. Enjoy!

**_XxgemxX_****_-_** Sarcasm is such a great emotion. Enjoy!

**_Firniswin_****_-_** Wow, you are really excited about this chapter. Well, I hope that I stood up to your expectations for what you were hoping for. And thank you so much for the compliment; I will store it in my little area in my heart that I keep all the great compliments.

**_Lindahoyland_****_-_** Enjoy! Thanks for reviewing.

**_Dha_****_-Gal-_** Poor Glorfindel and all the others. Heehee, your little conversations are just freaking hilarious; I love reading them.

**_Hiei-Rulez_****_-_** Jackman has a gorgeous chest. Yesterday I watched _Someone Like You_, that is a very good movie. He is so sexy in that role. Heehee. I can get into that amount of trouble and I have. Do not ask how I did but I did. Usually during the summer because I did not have school to keep me occupied and before I started writing so much or reading. Enjoy!

**_Snow-Glory-_** Yes, Glaurung is really gone for good now. No more big black ugly dragon to torment the Ranger and friends. I am thinking about another story after this one but I do not have a plot for it so I might take a while before posting it.

**_Vampy2k-_** Thank you so much for the compliment. Enjoy the chapter.

**_Arienis_****_-_** Thanks for the compliment and I hope you enjoy the chapter.


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